waterbycounty
EPA SDWIS

Palo Alto County Water Quality

Palo Alto County, Iowa

Water Grade

F

Water Score

13.1

Violations

35

State Rank

#95

of 99 (1 = best)

EPA SDWIS Compliance

Drinking Water Quality

Water Quality Grade

F

Based on EPA compliance history and violation data

Water Score

13.1/100

Higher = better quality

Health Violations

35

Health-based violations

Violation Rate

233.5%

Systems with violations

Water Advisory: 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 1,000 residents, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Residents of Palo Alto 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 35 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

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.

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; "% of typical" compares the latest reading against that average.

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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 live streamflow 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 is currently reading 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 genuine real-time data, 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 Logan Johnson, Founder & Data EditorUpdated Reviewed by Logan Johnson, Founder & Data Editor

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