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County water report

Des Moines County Water Report

Drinking-water compliance, watershed health, monitoring records, and river conditions for Des Moines County, Iowa.

Water grade

B

Water score

66.0

State rank

#76

of 99

Health violations

1

EPA SDWIS, 5-year lookback

Watershed impaired

Not reported

EPA ATTAINS coverage varies by state

Monitoring sites

4

7,858 recent measurements

Live streamflow

78%

Skunk River at Augusta, IA

Water at a glance

Key Water Indicators for Des Moines County

EPA SDWIS

Safety Grade

B

Score: 66.0 / 100

EPA SDWIS

Active Violations

1

5-year health-based lookback

EPA ATTAINS

Watershed Health

Not reported

Coverage varies by state

USGS NWIS

Streamflow Snapshot

78% of mean

Skunk River at Augusta, IA

EPA WQP

Monitoring Sites

4

7,858 recent readings

Source: EPA SDWIS · Safe Drinking Water Information System

Drinking Water Compliance

Compliance grade

B

Based on EPA SDWIS compliance history.

Water score

Higher scores indicate cleaner recent compliance records.

66.0/100

Health violations

1

Health-based violations

Violations per 100K served

3.0

Population-normalized SDWIS rate

Editorial analysis

Understanding Des Moines County’s Water

Drinking Water Quality Overview

EPA SDWIS

Des Moines County earns a B grade for drinking water quality, scoring 66.0 out of 100. Over the past five years, EPA SDWIS records 1 health-based violation — a single incident worth monitoring.

River & Streamflow Status

USGS NWIS

USGS NWIS gauge data (as of 2026-05-14T13:45:00.000-05:00) puts Skunk River at 2.2k cfs — running somewhat below its historical average at 78% of mean. Streamflow is a leading indicator of drought stress, sediment load, and dilution capacity: low flows concentrate pollutants and warm water temperatures, stressing aquatic life and, in surface-water-dependent systems, the source water quality for treatment plants.

Monitoring Network

EPA WQP

EPA's Water Quality Portal (WQP) aggregates monitoring data from federal, state, and tribal agencies. Des Moines County has limited coverage with 4 active monitoring sites with 7,858 recent measurements on record. Predominant monitoring categories include physical and nutrient. More monitoring sites generally indicate greater scientific attention to local water conditions — and provide the baseline data that regulators use to set future impairment listings.

Editorial advisory

What the data suggests for Des Moines County

Water Verdict

Des Moines County receives a fair water quality assessment with a grade of B and a score of 66.0 out of 100. The water supply meets baseline federal standards, but there may be periods of elevated contaminant levels or infrastructure concerns worth monitoring.

Violation Context

Des Moines County has recorded 1 health-based violation, meaning the water system experienced at least one exceedance of federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements. At 3.0 violations per 100,000 people served, this rate is moderate and suggests recurring water quality challenges.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Des Moines County scores well above average for drinking-water safety. Des Moines County's drinking-water compliance score is 66.0 out of 100. With 1 recorded health violation, the water supply is generally reliable. The violation rate for Des Moines County is 3.0 per 100,000 people served. Households with infants, pregnant individuals, or immunocompromised members may want to use an NSF 53-certified pitcher filter as a low-cost precaution. There are 4 active water-quality monitoring sites in Des Moines County. A pipeline streamflow snapshot from the Skunk River gauge is also available on this page.

Regional Context

Des Moines County has poorer water quality than the average county in Iowa. Its water score is 5.7 points lower than the state average, suggesting more challenges with contamination control or infrastructure than neighboring counties.

Advisory text summarizes county-level public records and is not a replacement for your utility's current Consumer Confidence Report or direct local notices.

Contaminants & Resources

Key issues flagged in Des Moines County's water environment

Official EPA Resources for Des Moines County

EPA How's My Waterway

Interactive watershed health data for Des Moines County

EPA ECHO: Drinking Water Systems

Search water utilities and violation records for Des Moines County

Consumer Confidence Reports (IA)

Annual water quality reports from utilities in Iowa

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

4

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

7.9K

7,858 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Nutrient
  • Sediment

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

2,160cfs

May 14, 6:45 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

78%

Below typical

Primary Streamgage

Skunk River at Augusta, IA

USGS site
05474000
Drainage area
4,312 sq mi
Long-term mean
2,784 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; the percent-of-typical value compares the latest reading against that average.

Free tool

Estimate Your Water Costs

Water Cost Estimate

3

3 people  ·  ~225 gal/day

Annual Total

$558

Monthly

$47

Water Bill

$558/yr

Filter Cost

$0/yr

Safety Grade for Des Moines County:C — Moderate

Some violations or watershed impairment detected.

Estimates use the national average residential water rate ($0.0068/gal, EPA/AWWA 2023) and EPA WaterSense per-person consumption baseline (75 gal/person/day). Actual bills vary by utility, usage tier, and local infrastructure fees. For informational purposes only.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the water quality in Des Moines County, Iowa?
Des Moines County, Iowa has a drinking-water quality grade of B with a score of 66.0/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 1 health-based drinking water violation over the past 5 years. Watershed health, monitoring records, and streamflow snapshots are reported separately on this page.
Are there any water violations in Des Moines County?
Des Moines County has 1 health-based drinking water violation 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 Des Moines County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 7,858 measurements from 4 monitoring sites in Des Moines County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Nutrient, Sediment. 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 Des Moines County right now?
Des Moines County's primary USGS streamgage on the Skunk River has a pipeline snapshot of 2,160 cubic feet per second — 78% of the long-term mean of 2,783.86 cfs. Flow is within typical range for this gauge. For the latest gauge feed, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Des Moines County water compare to the Iowa average?
Des Moines County's SDWIS water quality score of 66.0/100 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 Des Moines County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Des Moines County has a water quality grade of B (66.0/100). This indicates good to excellent water quality with strong SDWIS compliance. 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 Des Moines County have clean drinking water?
Des Moines County has 1 health-based drinking water violation according to EPA records. With a water quality score of 66.0/100 and grade B, 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 Des Moines County rank for water quality in Iowa?
Des Moines County ranks #76 out of 99 counties in Iowa by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 66.0/100, 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

Story County

Iowa

B

66.8

Water score

Dubuque County

Iowa

B

67.1

Water score

Woodbury County

Iowa

B

67.8

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 Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

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