Lead In Drinking Water In Iowa
What residents of Iowa need to know about lead in drinking water — including how it enters water, which utilities have documented violations, and what steps to take.
Source: EPA SDWIS, Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), CDC · Last reviewed: 2025-01-01
Quick Answer
Is lead in drinking water a real concern in Iowa?
Yes — Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, and Waterloo have older neighborhoods with pre-1986 housing where lead service lines and lead solder are present.
Is this mostly a public-water issue, a private-well issue, or both?
Both public water service lines and household plumbing in older Iowa city neighborhoods; Cedar Rapids and Davenport have particularly concentrated older housing in their city cores.
What is the main reason residents should care?
Iowa's older cities developed their water distribution infrastructure in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when lead service lines were standard. Older Iowa neighborhoods with original service connections face ongoing risk even when the utility delivers treated water that is compliant at the plant.
Key Facts
| Federal Lead Action Level | 15 µg/L — no safe level per CDC |
| City risk | Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport older cores — dense pre-1940 housing with lead service lines |
| Rural system challenge | Many small rural Iowa water systems with aging infrastructure and limited resources |
| Federal MCLG | Zero — no safe level of lead exposure is established |
| State oversight | Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) |
Why This Matters in Iowa
Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, and Waterloo each have city cores with housing built before 1940, where lead service lines connecting homes to the water main and lead solder throughout household plumbing were standard construction practices. Iowa's water chemistry varies by source — surface water from the Des Moines and Cedar Rivers is treated, while some smaller communities draw from groundwater with varying mineral content. IDNR enforces the Lead and Copper Rule and requires Iowa utilities to complete service line inventories under the LCRR. Iowa also has a large number of very small community water systems in rural areas, some with aging infrastructure and limited compliance resources.
Iowa Utilities With Lead Violation Records
The utilities listed below have at least one lead violation on record in EPA's SDWIS database. Violations may be open or resolved — see individual utility pages for current status and risk level.
Cedar Rapids Water Department
Iowa · 142,364 served
City of Ankeny
Ankeny · 76,207 served
Waterloo Water Works
Waterloo · 69,504 served
Iowa City Water Department
Iowa City · 68,753 served
Urbandale Water Utility
Urbandale · 45,605 served
Rathbun Regional Water Assn (rathbun)
Centerville · 33,000 served
Waukee Water Supply
Iowa · 31,823 served
University Water System
Iowa City · 26,684 served
Sirwa #2 (creston)
Creston · 20,793 served
Warren Water District
Iowa · 20,095 served
How Lead Gets Into Drinking Water
Lead service lines
The pipe connecting a home to the water main may be made of lead, especially in pre-1986 construction. Water sitting in these lines can accumulate lead before it reaches the tap.
Lead solder
Lead solder at pipe joints was banned for potable water systems in 1986. Homes built before that date — including significant portions of older Iowa cities — may still have lead solder throughout their plumbing.
Older brass fixtures
Faucets, valves, and fixtures with high lead content were common before the 2014 revision of 'lead-free' standards. Replacing older fixtures at kitchen and drinking taps can meaningfully reduce exposure.
Corrosive water chemistry
Soft, acidic, or low-alkalinity water dissolves lead from plumbing more readily. Utilities use orthophosphate and other corrosion control treatments, but household plumbing after the meter is not within their control.
Who Should Pay Closest Attention
Families with young children in older Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and Davenport neighborhoods should contact their utility to ask about service line material at their address. Renters in older Iowa city housing should request information from building owners or utility contacts about plumbing age.
Families with children under six
Pregnant residents
Households in homes built before 1986
Renters who cannot inspect building plumbing
Residents on a confirmed lead service line
Households that had plumbing work done recently (disturbances dislodge protective scale)
How to Check Your Situation in Iowa
- 1
Identify your water utility. Use the ZIP lookup below or browse the Iowa utility directory on this site.
- 2
Read your utility's page on this site to see its current risk level and any open lead violations.
- 3
Contact your utility and ask for your address-level service line material status. Under the federal Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR), utilities must maintain and provide this information.
- 4
Review your utility's most recent Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) — mailed annually or available on the utility's website.
- 5
Consider testing your tap water at a Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR)-certified lab. Your state health department or Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) maintains a list of certified labs.
- 6
If you have young children or are pregnant, install a certified NSF/ANSI 53 or 58 filter at the kitchen tap as a precautionary measure.
Treatment Options
Boiling does not remove lead. Use a certified filter for drinking and cooking water.
NSF/ANSI Standard 53 — Activated Carbon Block
Under-sink or pitcher filters certified to Standard 53 are independently verified to reduce lead. Replace filters on the manufacturer's schedule — an overdue filter may not perform as certified.
NSF/ANSI Standard 58 — Reverse Osmosis
RO systems certified to Standard 58 remove 95–99% of lead and a broad range of contaminants. Requires under-sink installation. More comprehensive than Standard 53 for households with multiple contaminant concerns.
Flushing — temporary mitigation only
EPA recommends flushing the cold tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes if water has sat in pipes for 6+ hours. Not a substitute for certified filtration or service line replacement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Pages
Lead — National Overview
All U.S. utilities with lead records
Iowa State Overview
All utilities and water quality data
Nitrate in Drinking Water
A separate but common concern
Reverse Osmosis Guide
Removes 95–99% of lead
Activated Carbon Filter Guide
NSF/ANSI 53 certified options
All Contaminants
Complete reference library
Data Sources & Provenance
All data on this page is sourced from official U.S. government or public datasets.
Find Your Utility
State Regulator
Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) ↗