Public water system · IA4260401
ActiveCalkins Nature Center
At a glance
Calkins Nature Center (PWSID IA4260401) is an active transient non-community water system in Hardin County, Iowa. It reports serving 27 people through 2 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 9 violations for this system; 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in August 2025.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
27
Service connections
2
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
TNCWS
Transient non-community water system
System record
How does Calkins Nature Center compare with other water systems in Hardin County?
By EPA's size categories, Calkins Nature Center is a very small system (500 people or fewer). Hardin County has 22 active public water systems. Its population served is well below the county average of 633 people per system, and accounts for 0.2% of the 13,920 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across Iowa, the 1,828 active systems average 1,718 people each. Nationally, the average active transient non-community water system reports serving 144 people, so Calkins Nature Center is well below that figure.
What does “transient non-community water system” mean?
A transient non-community water system serves places where people do not stay long, such as gas stations and campgrounds, and regularly serves at least 25 people a day for at least 60 days a year. Iowa has 626 active transient non-community water systems, 34% of the state's 1,828 active systems. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers. 1,502 Iowa systems (82%) list groundwater as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Calkins Nature Center?
EPA lists Calkins Nature Center as owned by a local government. The IA state drinking water program is its primacy agency, the regulator with primary enforcement responsibility for the system under the Safe Drinking Water Act. 12 of the 22 active systems in Hardin County (55%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Calkins Nature Center have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 9 violations for this system; 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in August 2025. The violations listed here began between April 2003 and August 2025. By type: 4 monitoring and reporting, 3 contaminant level above the legal limit and 2 monitoring. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Nitrate (5 of them). EPA lists 9 as resolved. Resolved means at least one resolving action is on record: the system returned to compliance, the rule no longer applies, or no further action was needed.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-08-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample · code 01 | Nitratecode 1040 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2025-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample · code 01 | Nitratecode 1040 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2025-03-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Additional Routine (RTCR) · code 3B | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2024-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample · code 01 | Nitratecode 1040 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2022-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 2016-07-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2004-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2003-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitritecode 1041 | No | Resolved |
| 2003-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
All 9 violations in EPA's records, newest first.Labels and codes come from EPA's SDWIS reference tables. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found. "Health-based" marks violations of a legal limit or required treatment.
Calkins Nature Center: frequently asked questions
Who runs Calkins Nature Center?
Calkins Nature Center (PWSID IA4260401) is a transient non-community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the IA state drinking water program.
How many people does Calkins Nature Center serve?
Calkins Nature Center reports serving 27 people through 2 service connections in Hardin County, Iowa.
Where does Calkins Nature Center get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as groundwater. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers.
Does Calkins Nature Center have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 9 violations for this system; 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in August 2025. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found.
Is Calkins Nature Center's water safe to drink?
AquaCensus shows EPA compliance records, not current water test results, so it cannot say whether the water is safe at a given moment. EPA's records list 9 violations for this system; 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in August 2025. For current results, consult EPA ECHO, or the IA state drinking water program.
Where can I find Calkins Nature Center's water quality report?
The annual Consumer Confidence Report requirement applies to community water systems. Calkins Nature Center is a transient non-community water system, so it is not required to publish one; like every public water system, it must notify the people it serves about violations under EPA's public notification rules.
Other water systems in Hardin County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa Falls Water Department | Hardin | 5,146 | Community | Groundwater |
| Eldora Water Supply | Hardin | 2,664 | Community | Groundwater |
| Ackley Municipal Water Works | Hardin | 1,599 | Community | Groundwater |
| Hubbard Water Supply | Hardin | 860 | Community | Groundwater |
| Alden Water Supply | Hardin | 763 | Community | Groundwater |
| Radcliffe Municipal Water | Hardin | 561 | Community | Groundwater |
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About this data
Source: U.S. EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and SDWA violation records, via EPA ECHO, as published October 1, 2026 — AquaCensus refreshes it quarterly. See the methodology for how records are matched, cleaned and scored.
Cite as: AquaCensus, “Calkins Nature Center, PWSID IA4260401, Iowa”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/iowa/calkins-nature-center-ia4260401 (data as of October 1, 2026).