Public water system · IA7736011
ActiveGrimes Water Supply
At a glance
Grimes Water Supply (PWSID IA7736011) is an active community water system in Polk County, Iowa. It reports serving 17,809 people through 6,245 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, 6 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2021.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
17,809
Service connections
6,245
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Grimes Water Supply compare with other water systems in Polk County?
By EPA's size categories, Grimes Water Supply is a large system (10,001 to 100,000 people). Polk County has 38 active public water systems. Its population served is about 39% above the county average of 12,857 people per system, and accounts for 3.6% of the 488,556 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 Grimes Water Supply is about 166% above 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 Grimes Water Supply?
EPA lists Grimes 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. 16 of the 38 active systems in Polk County (42%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Grimes Water Supply have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 6 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2021. The violations listed here began between September 1979 and January 2021. By type: 6 contaminant level above the legal limit, 5 monitoring and reporting and 1 public notice, recordkeeping or other. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (2 of them). EPA lists 7 as resolved and 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitritecode 1041 | No | Resolved |
| 2011-10-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherOperations Report · code 10 | Not reported | No | Resolved |
| 2011-08-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Acute (TCR) · code 21 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2011-08-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1997-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Archived |
| 1997-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | 1,2-Dichloropropanecode 2983 | No | Resolved |
| 1997-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalatecode 2039 | No | Resolved |
| 1985-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium)code 4000 | No | Resolved |
| 1983-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample · code 01 | Fluoridecode 1025 | Yes | Archived |
| 1980-09-26 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Combined Radium (-226 and -228)code 4010 | Yes | Archived |
| 1980-08-08 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium)code 4000 | Yes | Archived |
| 1979-09-14 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Fluoridecode 1025 | Yes | Archived |
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.
Grimes Water Supply: frequently asked questions
Who runs Grimes Water Supply?
Grimes Water Supply (PWSID IA7736011) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the IA state drinking water program.
How many people does Grimes Water Supply serve?
Grimes Water Supply reports serving 17,809 people through 6,245 service connections in Polk County, Iowa.
Where does Grimes 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 Grimes Water Supply have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 6 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2021. 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 Grimes 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, 6 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2021. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the IA state drinking water program.
Where can I find Grimes Water Supply's water quality report?
As a community water system, Grimes 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 Polk County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines Water Works | Polk | 246,055 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Ankeny, City of | Polk | 76,207 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Urbandale Water Utility | Polk | 45,605 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Johnston Municipal Water Supply | Polk | 24,897 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Clive Water Department | Polk | 20,277 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Altoona Water Supply | Polk | 19,565 | 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, “Grimes Water Supply, PWSID IA7736011, Iowa”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/iowa/grimes-water-supply-ia7736011 (data as of October 1, 2026).