States › Iowa › Polk County

Polk County, IA Water Quality

Water quality data for 9 public water systems serving Polk County, Iowa — based on EPA SDWIS enforcement records, lead testing results, and health-based violation history.

📅 2026 Report 🔄 Data updated 2026 Q2 📍 9 water systems · 18 cities
✅
Generally Safe — Most Systems Performing Well

The majority of water systems have no active violations and lead levels well below the federal action level.

B

Polk County Earns a B

Polk County: 18 communities across 9 water systems. 100.0% have no open violations.

  • Median lead where detected: 1.00 ppb
  • 1 communities with a lead detection, 17 reporting none detected
  • 0 communities with PFAS above the federal limit
  • 13 with significant inspection deficiencies
  • 100.0% of communities have no open violations
1 ppb
Median Lead Level
County-wide, 90th percentile
9
Water Systems
Active CWS & NTNCWS
100%
Violation-Free
No active violations on record
How we grade counties: MyWaterIQ uses EPA SDWIS enforcement data — actual MCL violations and lead test results — not the aspirational MCLG targets used by some sites. A grade reflects real compliance history, not theoretical risk. Learn more →

Cities by Water Quality

⭐ Best Performing
  • West Des Moines
    Not detected
    No federal limits exceeded on record
    A
  • Johnston
    Not detected
    No federal limits exceeded on record
    A
  • Clive
    Not detected
    No federal limits exceeded on record
    A
  • Ankeny
    Not detected
    Copper above the 1,300 ppb action level
    A
  • Urbandale
    Not detected
    1 significant inspection deficiency
    A
⚠ Needs Attention
  • Sheldahl
    1.00 ppb
    Copper above the 1,300 ppb action level
    C
  • Des Moines
    Not detected
    1 significant inspection deficiency
    B
  • Altoona
    Not detected
    1 significant inspection deficiency
    B
  • Pleasant Hill
    Not detected
    1 significant inspection deficiency
    B
  • Bondurant
    Not detected
    1 significant inspection deficiency
    B
County Lead Level — Median 1 ppb
Based on most recent 90th percentile lead tests across all reporting systems
0 ppb5 ppb10 ppb15 ppb
County median: 1 ppb — 6.7% of the federal action level
Systems by Lead Level
Under 5 ppb
1
No Data
17

All Cities in Polk County

Des Moines Not detected B
West Des Moines Not detected A
Ankeny Not detected A
Urbandale Not detected A
Johnston Not detected A
Grimes Not detected A
Clive Not detected A
Altoona Not detected B
Pleasant Hill Not detected B
Bondurant Not detected B
Polk City Not detected B
Saylorville Not detected B
Windsor Heights Not detected B
Mitchellville Not detected B
Elkhart Not detected B
Runnells Not detected B
Alleman Not detected B
Sheldahl 1.00 ppb C
Showing 18 cities
No active violations Active violations

About Polk County Drinking Water

Polk County is served by 9 water systems covering 18 communities. No community here has an open violation on record.

Of the communities reporting lead results, 1 recorded a detection, with a median of 1.00 ppb — 7% of the federal action level. 17 reported none detected, which means below the laboratory limit rather than an absence of lead.

No community here has PFAS above the federal limit on record. State inspectors recorded significant deficiencies at 13 of them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Polk County tap water safe to drink?▼
No community in Polk County has an open violation on record. No community has PFAS above the federal limit on record.
What is the lead level in Polk County?▼
Among communities with a detection the median is 1.00 ppb, 7% of the 15 ppb action level. 17 reported none detected and 0 reported no result.
How many water systems serve Polk County?▼
9 community water systems serve 18 communities here.
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