Public water system · IA7820080
ActiveCouncil Bluffs Water Works
At a glance
Council Bluffs Water Works (PWSID IA7820080) is an active community water system in Pottawattamie County, Iowa. It reports serving 64,447 people through 22,374 service connections. Its primary water source is surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 3 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in October 2017.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
64,447
Service connections
22,374
Primary source
SW
Surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Council Bluffs Water Works compare with other water systems in Pottawattamie County?
By EPA's size categories, Council Bluffs Water Works is a large system (10,001 to 100,000 people). Pottawattamie County has 33 active public water systems, and Council Bluffs Water Works is the largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 25 times the county average of 2,579 people per system, and accounts for 76% of the 85,108 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 Council Bluffs Water Works is about 9.6 times 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. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs. 24 Iowa systems (1.3%) list surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Council Bluffs Water Works?
EPA lists Council Bluffs Water Works 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. 15 of the 33 active systems in Pottawattamie County (45%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Council Bluffs Water Works have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 3 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in October 2017. The violations listed here began between April 1986 and October 2017. By type: 3 monitoring and reporting. The contaminants or rules involved are Nitrate, Carbon, total and Trichloroethylene. EPA lists 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 2007-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Carbon, totalcode 2920 | No | Resolved |
| 1986-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Trichloroethylenecode 2984 | No | Resolved |
All 3 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.
Council Bluffs Water Works: frequently asked questions
Who runs Council Bluffs Water Works?
Council Bluffs Water Works (PWSID IA7820080) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the IA state drinking water program.
How many people does Council Bluffs Water Works serve?
Council Bluffs Water Works reports serving 64,447 people through 22,374 service connections in Pottawattamie County, Iowa.
Where does Council Bluffs Water Works get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as surface water. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs.
Does Council Bluffs Water Works have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 3 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in October 2017. 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 Council Bluffs Water Works' 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 3 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in October 2017. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the IA state drinking water program.
Where can I find Council Bluffs Water Works' water quality report?
As a community water system, Council Bluffs Water Works 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 Pottawattamie County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regional Water | Pottawattamie + 1 more | 4,132 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Carter Lake Water District | Pottawattamie | 3,791 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Avoca Water Works | Pottawattamie | 1,697 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| Urban Bluffs - North | Pottawattamie | 1,558 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Oakland Munic Water Utility | Pottawattamie | 1,524 | Community | Groundwater |
| Treynor Water Department | Pottawattamie | 1,049 | 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, “Council Bluffs Water Works, PWSID IA7820080, Iowa”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/iowa/council-bluffs-water-works-ia7820080 (data as of October 1, 2026).