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County water report

Woodbury County Water Report

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

Water grade

B

Water score

67.8

State rank

#73

of 99

Health violations

2

EPA SDWIS, 5-year lookback

Watershed impaired

Not reported

EPA ATTAINS coverage varies by state

Monitoring sites

8

3,286 recent measurements

Live streamflow

No gauge

BIG SIOUX RIVER AT SIOUX CITY, IA

Water at a glance

Key Water Indicators for Woodbury County

EPA SDWIS

Safety Grade

B

Score: 67.8 / 100

EPA SDWIS

Active Violations

2

5-year health-based lookback

EPA ATTAINS

Watershed Health

Not reported

Coverage varies by state

USGS NWIS

Streamflow Snapshot

No gauge

BIG SIOUX RIVER AT SIOUX CITY, IA

EPA WQP

Monitoring Sites

8

3,286 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.

67.8/100

Health violations

2

Health-based violations

Violations per 100K served

2.0

Population-normalized SDWIS rate

Editorial analysis

Understanding Woodbury County’s Water

Drinking Water Quality Overview

EPA SDWIS

Woodbury County earns a B grade for drinking water quality, scoring 67.8 out of 100. Over the past five years, EPA SDWIS records 2 health-based violations — a small cluster that warrants attention.

Monitoring Network

EPA WQP

EPA's Water Quality Portal (WQP) aggregates monitoring data from federal, state, and tribal agencies. Woodbury County has limited coverage with 8 active monitoring sites with 3,286 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 Woodbury County

Water Verdict

Woodbury County, Iowa receives a fair water quality assessment with a grade of B and a score of 67.8 out of 100. The water supply meets baseline federal standards, but there may be periods of elevated contaminant levels or infrastructure concerns worth monitoring. The county's primary USGS gauge drains roughly 8,430 square miles of upstream watershed, giving local source waters a regional footprint.

Violation Context

EPA SDWIS records for Woodbury County, Iowa show 2 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 2.0 violations per 100,000 people served, this rate is relatively low compared to many U.S. counties. For independent context, 3,286 water-quality monitoring results have been recorded across the county in the EPA Water Quality Portal over the past five years.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Woodbury County scores well above average for drinking-water safety. Woodbury County's drinking-water compliance score is 67.8 out of 100. With 2 recorded health violations, the water supply is generally reliable. The violation rate for Woodbury County is 2.0 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 8 active water-quality monitoring sites in Woodbury County. A pipeline streamflow snapshot from the BIG SIOUX RIVER gauge is also available on this page.

Regional Context

Woodbury County has water quality close to the average county in Iowa. Its water score is within 3.9 points of the state average, meaning its overall water system performance is broadly representative of Iowa as a whole.

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 Woodbury County's water environment

Official EPA Resources for Woodbury County

EPA How's My Waterway

Interactive watershed health data for Woodbury County

EPA ECHO: Drinking Water Systems

Search water utilities and violation records for Woodbury County

Consumer Confidence Reports (IA)

Annual water quality reports from utilities in Iowa

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

8

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

3.3K

3,286 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Nutrient
  • Inorganics, Minor, Metals

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).

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Water Cost Estimate

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3 people  ·  ~225 gal/day

Annual Total

$558

Monthly

$47

Water Bill

$558/yr

Filter Cost

$0/yr

Safety Grade for Woodbury 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 Woodbury County, Iowa?
Woodbury County, Iowa has a drinking-water quality grade of B with a score of 67.8/100, 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 streamflow snapshots are reported separately on this page.
Are there any water violations in Woodbury County?
Woodbury 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 Woodbury County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 3,286 measurements from 8 monitoring sites in Woodbury County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Nutrient, Inorganics, Minor, Metals. 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.
How does Woodbury County water compare to the Iowa average?
Woodbury County's SDWIS water quality score of 67.8/100 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 Woodbury County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Woodbury County has a water quality grade of B (67.8/100). 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 Woodbury County have clean drinking water?
Woodbury County has 2 health-based drinking water violations according to EPA records. With a water quality score of 67.8/100 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 Woodbury County rank for water quality in Iowa?
Woodbury County ranks #73 out of 99 counties in Iowa by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 67.8/100, 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

Scott County

Iowa

B

68.2

Water score

Dubuque County

Iowa

B

67.1

Water score

Story County

Iowa

B

66.8

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.

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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