Public water system · IA6520019
ActiveEmerson Water Department
At a glance
Emerson Water Department (PWSID IA6520019) is an active community water system in Mills County, Iowa. It reports serving 412 people through 224 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; 8 are health-based, and the most recent began in August 2014.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
412
Service connections
224
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Emerson Water Department compare with other water systems in Mills County?
By EPA's size categories, Emerson Water Department is a very small system (500 people or fewer). Mills County has 17 active public water systems, and Emerson Water Department is the 3rd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 20% below the county average of 515 people per system, and accounts for 4.7% of the 8,756 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 Emerson Water Department 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 Emerson Water Department?
EPA lists Emerson Water Department 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. 6 of the 17 active systems in Mills County (35%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Emerson Water Department have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 9 violations for this system; 8 are health-based, and the most recent began in August 2014. The violations listed here began between October 1990 and August 2014. By type: 8 contaminant level above the legal limit and 1 monitoring and reporting. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (5 of them). EPA lists 8 as resolved and 1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-08-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 1991-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample · code 01 | Nitratecode 1040 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1991-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample · code 01 | Nitratecode 1040 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1991-05-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1991-02-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
| 1991-02-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1991-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample · code 01 | Nitratecode 1040 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1990-11-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1990-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | 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.
Emerson Water Department: frequently asked questions
Who runs Emerson Water Department?
Emerson Water Department (PWSID IA6520019) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the IA state drinking water program.
How many people does Emerson Water Department serve?
Emerson Water Department reports serving 412 people through 224 service connections in Mills County, Iowa.
Where does Emerson Water Department 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 Emerson Water Department have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 9 violations for this system; 8 are health-based, and the most recent began in August 2014. 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 Emerson Water Department'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; 8 are health-based, and the most recent began in August 2014. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the IA state drinking water program.
Where can I find Emerson Water Department's water quality report?
As a community water system, Emerson Water Department 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 Mills County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glenwood Municipal Utilities | Mills | 5,449 | Community | Groundwater |
| Malvern Water Supply | Mills | 1,046 | Community | Groundwater |
| Switch | Mills | 285 | Non-transient non-community | Groundwater |
| St. John Luth. Church (Mineola) | Mills | 250 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Silver City Water Supply | Mills | 245 | Community | Groundwater |
| Romantix Inc. | Mills | 204 | 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, “Emerson Water Department, PWSID IA6520019, Iowa”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/iowa/emerson-water-department-ia6520019 (data as of October 1, 2026).