waterbycounty
EPA SDWIS

Cedar County Water Quality

Cedar County, Iowa

Water Grade

F

Water Score

39.4

Violations

4

State Rank

#82

of 99 (1 = best)

EPA SDWIS Compliance

Drinking Water Quality

Water Quality Grade

F

Based on EPA compliance history and violation data

Water Score

39.4/100

Higher = better quality

Health Violations

4

Health-based violations

Violation Rate

33.4%

Systems with violations

Water Advisory: Cedar County

Water Verdict

Cedar County receives a poor water quality assessment with a grade of F and a score of 39.4 out of 100. The water supply has documented quality issues. Residents are strongly encouraged to use filtered or bottled water for drinking and to stay informed about utility improvement plans.

Violation Context

Cedar County has recorded 4 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 33.4 violations per 1,000 residents, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Residents of Cedar County are advised to use filtered or bottled water for drinking and cooking until water quality improves. A reverse-osmosis or activated-carbon filter certified to remove the contaminants listed in the utility's Consumer Confidence Report is recommended. With 4 recorded health violations, staying informed about utility communications and boil-water notices is especially important. For long-term peace of mind, request your utility's latest Consumer Confidence Report and consider independent water testing if you have specific health concerns.

Regional Context

Cedar County has poorer water quality than the average county in Iowa. Its water score is 32.3 points lower than the state average, suggesting more challenges with contamination control or infrastructure than neighboring counties.

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

4

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

156

156 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • PFAS,Perfluorinated Alkyl Substance
  • Nutrient

Categories measured most frequently

Data from the EPA Water Quality Portal (WQP), aggregating monitoring records from federal, state, and tribal sources. Each measurement represents a single sample analyzed for a specific characteristic (e.g., E. coli, pH, dissolved oxygen, nitrogen).

Live USGS Streamgage

River & Stream Conditions

Current Discharge

5,320cfs

May 14, 7:00 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

74%

Below typical

Primary Streamgage

Cedar River at Cedar Bluff, IA

USGS site
05464780
Drainage area
7,075 sq mi
Long-term mean
7,155 cfs

One representative streamgage (the one with the largest drainage area in the county). Many counties have multiple gauges — this view summarizes the primary one. The long-term mean is the full-record annual average; "% of typical" compares the latest reading against that average.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the water quality in Cedar County, Iowa?
Cedar County, Iowa has a drinking-water quality grade of F with a score of 39.4/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 4 health-based drinking water violations over the past 5 years. Watershed health, monitoring records, and live streamflow are reported separately on this page.
Are there any water violations in Cedar County?
Cedar County has 4 health-based drinking water violations recorded by the EPA over the past 5 years. Health-based violations indicate instances where contaminant levels exceeded EPA Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs). Violations may have been resolved — check with your local water utility for current status.
How much water-quality monitoring happens in Cedar County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 156 measurements from 4 monitoring sites in Cedar County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, PFAS,Perfluorinated Alkyl Substance, Nutrient. Each measurement is a single sample analyzed for one characteristic (E. coli, pH, dissolved oxygen, etc.). High monitoring density means more scientific evidence behind any reported signal — it does not by itself indicate water quality.
What's happening with rivers in Cedar County right now?
Cedar County's primary USGS streamgage on the Cedar River is currently reading 5,320 cubic feet per second — 74% of the long-term mean of 7,155.33 cfs. Flow is within typical range for this gauge. For genuine real-time data, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Cedar County water compare to the Iowa average?
Cedar County's SDWIS water quality score of 39.4/100 is lower than the Iowa state average of 71.7. The average water quality grade across Iowa is C, based on data from 99 counties with available SDWIS data.
Is tap water safe to drink in Cedar County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Cedar County has a water quality grade of F (39.4/100). This indicates below-average compliance with significant violations. Residents may want to consider home water filtration or independent testing. The grade speaks to the public water system, not the watershed — for watershed-level concerns, see the Watershed Health zone. For the most up-to-date information, contact your local water utility or review your Consumer Confidence Report (CCR).
Does Cedar County have clean drinking water?
Cedar County has 4 health-based drinking water violations according to EPA records. With a water quality score of 39.4/100 and grade F, the county's drinking water has had some compliance issues but continues to be monitored. Note: drinking-water compliance speaks to the public water system, not necessarily to the watershed itself — check the Watershed Health zone for ATTAINS §303(d) data.
How does Cedar County rank for water quality in Iowa?
Cedar County ranks #82 out of 99 counties in Iowa by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 39.4/100, it falls in the bottom third of counties statewide. The ranking reflects EPA SDWIS compliance only — not watershed impairment, monitoring density, or streamflow, which are tracked separately on this page.

Counties with Similar Water Quality

Johnson County

Iowa

F

37.9

Water score

Boone County

Iowa

F

41.1

Water score

Pocahontas County

Iowa

F

37.5

Water score

Data Sources

Drinking-water compliance data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) via the ECHO enforcement database. Scores reflect compliance history and health-based violation counts.

Water-quality monitoring counts from the EPA Water Quality Portal (WQP) — federated USGS, EPA, and state agency sampling records over a rolling 5-year window.

Live streamflow from the USGS National Water Information System (NWIS) — continuous discharge measurements from the largest-drainage gauge in each county, compared against the full-record long-term annual mean.

Disclaimer: This data is informational only. It is not health, legal, or professional advice. For concerns about your specific water supply, contact your local water utility.

By Logan Johnson, Founder & Data EditorUpdated Reviewed by Logan Johnson, Founder & Data Editor

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