Public water system · IA7428021
ActiveEmmetsburg Municipal Water Department
At a glance
Emmetsburg Municipal Water Department (PWSID IA7428021) is an active community water system in Palo Alto County, Iowa. It reports serving 3,733 people through 1,784 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 2 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in January 2018.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
3,733
Service connections
1,784
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Emmetsburg Municipal Water Department compare with other water systems in Palo Alto County?
By EPA's size categories, Emmetsburg Municipal Water Department is a medium system (3,301 to 10,000 people). Palo Alto County has 8 active public water systems, and Emmetsburg Municipal Water Department is the 2nd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about twice the county average of 1,944 people per system, and accounts for 24% of the 15,555 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 Emmetsburg Municipal Water Department is about 44% 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 Emmetsburg Municipal Water Department?
EPA lists Emmetsburg Municipal 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 8 active systems in Palo Alto County (75%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Emmetsburg Municipal Water Department have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 2 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in January 2018. The violations listed here began between December 1997 and January 2018. By type: 1 monitoring and reporting and 1 contaminant level above the legal limit. The contaminants or rules involved are Combined Radium (-226 and -228) and Total coliform bacteria (TCR). EPA lists 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Combined Radium (-226 and -228)code 4010 | No | Resolved |
| 1997-12-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
All 2 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.
Emmetsburg Municipal Water Department: frequently asked questions
Who runs Emmetsburg Municipal Water Department?
Emmetsburg Municipal Water Department (PWSID IA7428021) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the IA state drinking water program.
How many people does Emmetsburg Municipal Water Department serve?
Emmetsburg Municipal Water Department reports serving 3,733 people through 1,784 service connections in Palo Alto County, Iowa.
Where does Emmetsburg Municipal 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 Emmetsburg Municipal Water Department have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 2 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in January 2018. 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 Emmetsburg Municipal 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 2 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in January 2018. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the IA state drinking water program.
Where can I find Emmetsburg Municipal Water Department's water quality report?
As a community water system, Emmetsburg Municipal 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 Palo Alto County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa Lakes Regional Water - Osgood | Palo Alto | 9,021 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Graettinger Municipal Water Supply | Palo Alto | 897 | Community | Groundwater |
| Ruthven Water Supply | Palo Alto | 779 | Community | Groundwater |
| West Bend Water Department | Palo Alto | 772 | Community | Groundwater |
| Mallard Water Supply | Palo Alto | 257 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| Daybreak Foods Inc. | Palo Alto | 65 | Non-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, “Emmetsburg Municipal Water Department, PWSID IA7428021, Iowa”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/iowa/emmetsburg-municipal-water-department-ia7428021 (data as of October 1, 2026).