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EPA SDWIS

Chickasaw County Water Quality

Chickasaw County, Iowa

Water Grade

D

Water Score

41.8

Violations

2

State Rank

#80

of 99 (1 = best)

EPA SDWIS Compliance

Drinking Water Quality

Water Quality Grade

D

Based on EPA compliance history and violation data

Water Score

41.8/100

Higher = better quality

Health Violations

2

Health-based violations

Violation Rate

29.0%

Systems with violations

Water Advisory: Chickasaw County

Water Verdict

Chickasaw County receives a below-average water quality assessment with a grade of D and a score of 41.8 out of 100. Residents should review their utility's Consumer Confidence Report and may want to consider additional water filtration for drinking.

Violation Context

Chickasaw County has recorded 2 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 29.0 violations per 1,000 residents, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Residents of Chickasaw 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 2 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

Chickasaw County has poorer water quality than the average county in Iowa. Its water score is 29.9 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

2

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

56

56 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Nutrient
  • Biological, Algae, Phytoplankton

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

115cfs

May 14, 6:45 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

53%

Well below typical

Primary Streamgage

Little Cedar River near Ionia, IA

USGS site
05458000
Drainage area
306 sq mi
Long-term mean
216 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 Chickasaw County, Iowa?
Chickasaw County, Iowa has a drinking-water quality grade of D with a score of 41.8/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 2 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 Chickasaw County?
Chickasaw County has 2 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 Chickasaw County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 56 measurements from 2 monitoring sites in Chickasaw County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Nutrient, Biological, Algae, Phytoplankton. 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 Chickasaw County right now?
Chickasaw County's primary USGS streamgage on the Little Cedar River is currently reading 115 cubic feet per second — 53% of the long-term mean of 215.97 cfs. This is well below typical — often a signal of drought stress on source water. For genuine real-time data, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Chickasaw County water compare to the Iowa average?
Chickasaw County's SDWIS water quality score of 41.8/100 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 Chickasaw County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Chickasaw County has a water quality grade of D (41.8/100). 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 Chickasaw County have clean drinking water?
Chickasaw County has 2 health-based drinking water violations according to EPA records. With a water quality score of 41.8/100 and grade D, 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 Chickasaw County rank for water quality in Iowa?
Chickasaw County ranks #80 out of 99 counties in Iowa by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 41.8/100, 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

Boone County

Iowa

F

41.1

Water score

Cedar County

Iowa

F

39.4

Water score

Jones County

Iowa

D

44.5

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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