Dickinson County, Iowa — public water systems
At a glance
14 active public water systems are filed under Dickinson County, Iowa in EPA's SDWIS records, together reporting 14,395 people served. The largest is Spirit Lake Waterworks, which reports serving 6,167 people. 10 are community water systems serving people where they live; the other 4 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
14
Population served
14.4K
Community systems
10
Groundwater share
42.9%
How does Dickinson County compare with other Iowa counties?
Dickinson County has the 45th-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 14,395 people served in total, the 44th-largest county figure in the state and 0.5% of the statewide total. The average system here reports serving 1,028 people, about 40% 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 Dickinson County's drinking water come from?
By primary water source, Dickinson County's active systems draw on groundwater (5, 36%), surface water (4, 29%), purchased surface water (4, 29%) and purchased groundwater (1, 7.1%). Overall, 43% rely mainly on groundwater (including purchased groundwater) and 57% 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, Spirit Lake Waterworks, draws primarily on surface water.
What kinds of water systems operate in Dickinson County?
Dickinson County's active systems break down as 10 community systems (71%) and 4 transient non-community systems (29%). 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 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. EPA lists their owner types as local government (71%) and private (29%).
Water systems in Dickinson County
🔒 Create a free account to export CSV| # | Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spirit Lake Waterworks | Dickinson | 6,167 | Community | Surface water |
| 2 | Milford Municipal Utilities | Dickinson | 3,431 | Community | Surface water |
| 3 | Lake Park Municipal Utilities | Dickinson | 1,167 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| 4 | Arnolds Park Water Department | Dickinson | 1,113 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 5 | Okoboji Water Supply | Dickinson | 776 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 6 | Wahpeton Water Supply | Dickinson | 408 | Community | Surface water |
| 7 | Terril Municipal Waterworks | Dickinson | 334 | Community | Groundwater |
| 8 | West Okoboji | Dickinson | 308 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 9 | Cedar Ridge Campground | Dickinson | 250 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 10 | Superior Water System | Dickinson | 132 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 11 | Anglers Bay Resort | Dickinson | 110 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 12 | Kabeles Trading Post | Dickinson | 104 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 13 | Treasure Village Inc. | Dickinson | 70 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 14 | Central Water System | Dickinson | 25 | Community | Surface water |
Dickinson County water systems: frequently asked questions
How many public water systems are in Dickinson County, Iowa?
EPA's SDWIS records file 14 active public water systems under Dickinson County, Iowa: 10 community systems (71%) and 4 transient non-community systems (29%).
Who supplies drinking water in Dickinson County, IA?
The largest community water systems filed under Dickinson County are Spirit Lake Waterworks (6,167 people served), Milford Municipal Utilities (3,431 people served) and Lake Park Municipal Utilities (1,167 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 Dickinson County's drinking water come from groundwater or surface water?
Of the 14 active public water systems in Dickinson County, 43% draw mainly on groundwater and 57% on surface water, counting purchased supplies. The largest system, Spirit Lake Waterworks, uses surface water.
Where can I find a water quality report for Dickinson 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. 10 community systems are filed under Dickinson 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 Dickinson 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 Dickinson County, Iowa”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/iowa/dickinson (data as of October 1, 2026).