Cherokee County, Iowa — public water systems
At a glance
12 active public water systems are filed under Cherokee County, Iowa in EPA's SDWIS records, together reporting 13,149 people served. The largest is Cherokee Water Supply - Plant 1, which reports serving 5,199 people. 11 are community water systems serving people where they live; the other 1 are non-community systems, such as schools, workplaces, campgrounds and gas stations with their own supply.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO, refreshed quarterly.
Active systems
12
Population served
13.1K
Community systems
11
Groundwater share
100%
How does Cherokee County compare with other Iowa counties?
Cherokee County has the 58th-most active public water systems among the 114 counties listed for active Iowa systems in EPA records; among the 96 with 3 or more systems, the median has 14. Its systems report 13,149 people served in total, the 51st-largest county figure in the state and 0.4% of the statewide total. The average system here reports serving 1,096 people, about 36% below the Iowa average of 1,718. Population figures are what each system reports; people served by more than one system, such as a wholesaler and the town that buys from it, are counted by each.
Where does Cherokee County's drinking water come from?
By primary water source, Cherokee County's active systems draw on groundwater (10, 83%) and purchased groundwater (2, 17%). Overall, all rely mainly on groundwater (including purchased groundwater) and none on surface water, compared with 92% and 7.8% across Iowa. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers. The county's largest system, Cherokee Water Supply - Plant 1, draws primarily on groundwater.
What kinds of water systems operate in Cherokee County?
Cherokee County's active systems break down as 11 community systems (92%) and 1 non-transient non-community systems (8.3%). A community water system serves at least 15 connections used by year-round residents, or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents. Homes, apartments and mobile-home parks are served by these. A non-transient non-community water system regularly serves at least 25 of the same people for more than six months a year, but not where they live. Schools, factories, office buildings and hospitals with their own supply are typical examples. EPA lists their owner types as local government (67%) and private (33%).
Water systems in Cherokee County
🔒 Create a free account to export CSV| # | Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cherokee Water Supply - Plant 1 | Cherokee | 5,199 | Community | Groundwater |
| 2 | Cherokee Rws - Cherokee Subsystem | Cherokee | 3,315 | Community | Groundwater |
| 3 | Cherokee Rws- Mill Creek Subsystem | Cherokee | 1,451 | Community | Groundwater |
| 4 | Marcus Water Supply | Cherokee | 1,079 | Community | Groundwater |
| 5 | Aurelia Water Supply | Cherokee | 968 | Community | Groundwater |
| 6 | Quimby Water Supply | Cherokee | 249 | Community | Groundwater |
| 7 | Cleghorn Water Supply | Cherokee | 240 | Community | Groundwater |
| 8 | Washta Water Supply | Cherokee | 209 | Community | Groundwater |
| 9 | Meriden Municipal Water Supply | Cherokee | 161 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| 10 | Larrabee Municipal Water Works | Cherokee | 125 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| 11 | Hilltop Village Mhc, Inc.. | Cherokee | 78 | Community | Groundwater |
| 12 | Rj Thomas Manufacturing Co Inc. | Cherokee | 75 | Non-transient non-community | Groundwater |
Cherokee County water systems: frequently asked questions
How many public water systems are in Cherokee County, Iowa?
EPA's SDWIS records file 12 active public water systems under Cherokee County, Iowa: 11 community systems (92%) and 1 non-transient non-community systems (8.3%).
Who supplies drinking water in Cherokee County, IA?
The largest community water systems filed under Cherokee County are Cherokee Water Supply - Plant 1 (5,199 people served), Cherokee Rws - Cherokee Subsystem (3,315 people served) and Cherokee Rws- Mill Creek Subsystem (1,451 people served). Which system serves a particular address depends on its service area, which EPA's SDWIS records do not include; a water bill or the local utility can confirm it.
Does Cherokee County's drinking water come from groundwater or surface water?
Of the 12 active public water systems in Cherokee County, all draw mainly on groundwater and none on surface water, counting purchased supplies. The largest system, Cherokee Water Supply - Plant 1, uses groundwater.
Where can I find a water quality report for Cherokee County?
Each community water system must deliver an annual water quality report, called a Consumer Confidence Report, to its customers by July 1, covering the previous calendar year. 11 community systems are filed under Cherokee County, so the report to look for is the one from the system that supplies your address.
How can I check violations for a water system in Cherokee County?
Open the system's profile from the list on this page. Each profile shows the most recent Safe Drinking Water Act violations in EPA's records, with plain-English labels and whether each one is resolved. For current compliance status, EPA ECHO is the primary source.
More Iowa water systems
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, “Public water systems in Cherokee County, Iowa”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/iowa/cherokee (data as of October 1, 2026).