waterbycounty
Federal water data

County water report

Palo Alto County Water Report

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

Water grade

F

Water score

13.1

State rank

#95

of 99

Health violations

35

EPA SDWIS, 5-year lookback

Watershed impaired

Not reported

EPA ATTAINS coverage varies by state

Monitoring sites

28

1,433 recent measurements

Live streamflow

81%

Des Moines River at Emmetsburg, IA

Water at a glance

Key Water Indicators for Palo Alto County

EPA SDWIS

Safety Grade

F

Score: 13.1 / 100

EPA SDWIS

Active Violations

35

5-year health-based lookback

EPA ATTAINS

Watershed Health

Not reported

Coverage varies by state

USGS NWIS

Streamflow Snapshot

81% of mean

Des Moines River at Emmetsburg, IA

EPA WQP

Monitoring Sites

28

1,433 recent readings

Source: EPA SDWIS · Safe Drinking Water Information System

Drinking Water Compliance

Compliance grade

F

Based on EPA SDWIS compliance history.

Water score

Higher scores indicate cleaner recent compliance records.

13.1/100

Health violations

35

Health-based violations

Violations per 100K served

233.5

Population-normalized SDWIS rate

Editorial analysis

Understanding Palo Alto County’s Water

Drinking Water Quality Overview

EPA SDWIS

Palo Alto County's water systems carry a failing grade, scoring 13.1 out of 100. Over the past five years, EPA SDWIS records 35 health-based violations — a pattern that public water utilities are required to disclose and correct.

River & Streamflow Status

USGS NWIS

USGS NWIS gauge data (as of 2026-05-14T13:15:00.000-05:00) puts Des Moines River at 877.0 cfs — running somewhat below its historical average at 81% 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. Palo Alto County has moderate coverage with 28 active monitoring sites with 1,433 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 Palo Alto County

Water Verdict

Palo Alto County receives a poor water quality assessment with a grade of F and a score of 13.1 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

Palo Alto County has recorded 35 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 233.5 violations per 100,000 people served, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Palo Alto County has a Grade F compliance record with 35 health-based violations — among the highest levels in the country. Palo Alto County's drinking-water compliance score is 13.1 out of 100. Residents are strongly advised to use a certified NSF 58 reverse-osmosis filter or bottled water for all drinking and cooking until violations are corrected. Contacting the Iowa Department of Environmental Quality or Health can expedite utility compliance action. With 28 active water-quality monitoring sites in Palo Alto County, data coverage is strong. A pipeline streamflow snapshot from the Des Moines River gauge is also available on this page.

Regional Context

Palo Alto County has poorer water quality than the average county in Iowa. Its water score is 58.6 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 Palo Alto County's water environment

Official EPA Resources for Palo Alto County

EPA How's My Waterway

Interactive watershed health data for Palo Alto County

EPA ECHO: Drinking Water Systems

Search water utilities and violation records for Palo Alto County

Consumer Confidence Reports (IA)

Annual water quality reports from utilities in Iowa

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

28

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

1.4K

1,433 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Nutrient
  • Microbiological

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

877cfs

May 14, 6:15 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

81%

Below typical

Primary Streamgage

Des Moines River at Emmetsburg, IA

USGS site
05476590
Drainage area
1,672 sq mi
Long-term mean
1,081 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 Palo Alto County:F — Failing

High violation count or severe watershed conditions.

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.

Try the full calculator →

Improve your water quality at home

Berkey filters remove 99.9%+ of contaminants from tap water.

Shop Berkey →

Sponsored

Test your tap water

Tap Score provides professional mail-in water testing.

Get Tested →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the water quality in Palo Alto County, Iowa?
Palo Alto County, Iowa has a drinking-water quality grade of F with a score of 13.1/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 35 health-based drinking water violations over the past 5 years. Watershed health, monitoring records, and streamflow snapshots are reported separately on this page.
Are there any water violations in Palo Alto County?
Palo Alto County has 35 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 Palo Alto County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 1,433 measurements from 28 monitoring sites in Palo Alto County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Nutrient, Microbiological. 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 Palo Alto County right now?
Palo Alto County's primary USGS streamgage on the Des Moines River has a pipeline snapshot of 877 cubic feet per second — 81% of the long-term mean of 1,080.89 cfs. Flow is within typical range for this gauge. For the latest gauge feed, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Palo Alto County water compare to the Iowa average?
Palo Alto County's SDWIS water quality score of 13.1/100 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 Palo Alto County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Palo Alto County has a water quality grade of F (13.1/100). 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).
Why does Palo Alto County have so many water violations?
Palo Alto County has 35 health-based drinking water violations on record from the EPA SDWIS database. A higher violation count can result from aging infrastructure, underfunded water utilities, agricultural runoff contamination, or industrial pollution. Counties with more water systems may also see more violations simply due to scale. Residents concerned about water quality should consider independent water testing and home filtration systems.
How does Palo Alto County rank for water quality in Iowa?
Palo Alto County ranks #95 out of 99 counties in Iowa by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 13.1/100, 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

Poweshiek County

Iowa

F

13.6

Water score

Iowa County

Iowa

F

11.3

Water score

Calhoun County

Iowa

F

11.2

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

Explore more data for Palo Alto County

Property TaxCost of LivingCrime RateIncomeHealthSchoolsDisaster RiskWeatherCounty Score