Public water system · IA7349023
ActiveEssex Water Supply
At a glance
Essex Water Supply (PWSID IA7349023) is an active community water system in Page County, Iowa. It reports serving 722 people through 350 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, 9 are health-based, and the most recent began in February 2019.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
722
Service connections
350
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Essex Water Supply compare with other water systems in Page County?
By EPA's size categories, Essex Water Supply is a small system (501 to 3,300 people). Page County has 9 active public water systems, and Essex Water Supply is the 5th-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 57% below the county average of 1,672 people per system, and accounts for 4.8% of the 15,052 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 Essex 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 Essex Water Supply?
EPA lists Essex 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. 7 of the 9 active systems in Page County (78%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Essex Water Supply have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 9 are health-based, and the most recent began in February 2019. The violations listed here began between January 1995 and February 2019. By type: 9 contaminant level above the legal limit, 1 monitoring, 1 monitoring and reporting and 1 public notice, recordkeeping or other. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Nitrate (8 of them). EPA lists 11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-02-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2002-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Arseniccode 1005 | No | Resolved |
| 1996-11-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample · code 01 | Nitratecode 1040 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1996-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1996-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample · code 01 | Nitratecode 1040 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1996-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample · code 01 | Nitratecode 1040 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1996-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample · code 01 | Nitratecode 1040 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1995-12-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherVariance/Exemption/Other Compliance · code 08 | Not reported | No | Archived |
| 1995-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample · code 01 | Nitratecode 1040 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1995-05-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample · code 01 | Nitratecode 1040 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1995-05-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample · code 01 | Nitratecode 1040 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1995-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample · code 01 | Nitratecode 1040 | Yes | 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.
Essex Water Supply: frequently asked questions
Who runs Essex Water Supply?
Essex Water Supply (PWSID IA7349023) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the IA state drinking water program.
How many people does Essex Water Supply serve?
Essex Water Supply reports serving 722 people through 350 service connections in Page County, Iowa.
Where does Essex 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 Essex Water Supply have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 9 are health-based, and the most recent began in February 2019. 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 Essex 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, 9 are health-based, and the most recent began in February 2019. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the IA state drinking water program.
Where can I find Essex Water Supply's water quality report?
As a community water system, Essex 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 Page County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shenandoah Water Dept | Page | 4,925 | Community | Groundwater |
| Clarinda Water Plant | Page | 4,372 | Community | Surface water |
| Southwest Reg Water District (Clarinda) | Page | 2,942 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Clarinda Treatment Complex | Page | 1,439 | Community | Groundwater |
| Coin Water Supply | Page | 176 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| College Springs Water Supply | Page | 170 | Community | Purchased surface water |
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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, “Essex Water Supply, PWSID IA7349023, Iowa”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/iowa/essex-water-supply-ia7349023 (data as of October 1, 2026).