Public water system · IA4509024
ActiveChester Water Supply
At a glance
Chester Water Supply (PWSID IA4509024) is an active community water system in Howard County, Iowa. It reports serving 139 people through 76 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in August 2025.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
139
Service connections
76
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Chester Water Supply compare with other water systems in Howard County?
By EPA's size categories, Chester Water Supply is a very small system (500 people or fewer). Howard County has 21 active public water systems. Its population served is about 60% below the county average of 348 people per system, and accounts for 1.9% of the 7,302 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across Iowa, the 1,828 active systems average 1,718 people each. Nationally, the average active community water system reports serving 6,703 people, so Chester Water Supply is well below that figure.
What does “community water system” mean?
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. Iowa has 1,084 active community water systems, 59% 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 Chester Water Supply?
EPA lists Chester Water Supply 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. 10 of the 21 active systems in Howard County (48%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Chester Water Supply have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in August 2025. The violations listed here began between September 1995 and August 2025. By type: 7 monitoring and reporting, 3 public notice, recordkeeping or other and 2 monitoring. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (4 of them). EPA lists 10 as resolved and 2 as archived. 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. Archived means the violation was not marked resolved but is more than five years past the end of the noncompliance period, so it no longer counts toward current compliance status.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-08-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | No | Archived |
| 2025-08-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | No | Archived |
| 2019-07-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2018-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 2017-09-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2013-06-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherOperations Report · code 10 | Not reported | No | Resolved |
| 2012-12-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2012-12-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherOperations Report · code 10 | Not reported | No | Resolved |
| 2012-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2012-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherOperations Report · code 10 | Not reported | No | Resolved |
| 1998-09-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 1995-09-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
The 12 most recent 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.
Chester Water Supply: frequently asked questions
Who runs Chester Water Supply?
Chester Water Supply (PWSID IA4509024) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the IA state drinking water program.
How many people does Chester Water Supply serve?
Chester Water Supply reports serving 139 people through 76 service connections in Howard County, Iowa.
Where does Chester Water Supply 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 Chester Water Supply have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is 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 Chester Water Supply'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. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in August 2025. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the IA state drinking water program.
Where can I find Chester Water Supply's water quality report?
As a community water system, Chester Water Supply must deliver an annual water quality report, called a Consumer Confidence Report, to its customers by July 1 each year, covering the previous calendar year. The system can provide a copy on request.
Other water systems in Howard County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cresco Waterworks | Howard | 3,913 | Community | Groundwater |
| Riceville Water Supply | Howard + 1 more | 816 | Community | Groundwater |
| Elma Water Supply | Howard | 505 | Community | Groundwater |
| Lime Springs Water Supply | Howard | 473 | Community | Groundwater |
| Protivin Water Supply | Howard | 269 | Community | Groundwater |
| Lake Hendricks Park (East Well) | Howard | 192 | Transient non-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, “Chester Water Supply, PWSID IA4509024, Iowa”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/iowa/chester-water-supply-ia4509024 (data as of October 1, 2026).