Howard County, Iowa — public water systems
At a glance
21 active public water systems are filed under Howard County, Iowa in EPA's SDWIS records, together reporting 7,302 people served. The largest is Cresco Waterworks, which reports serving 3,913 people. 6 are community water systems serving people where they live; the other 15 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
21
Population served
7.3K
Community systems
6
Groundwater share
100%
How does Howard County compare with other Iowa counties?
Howard County has the 28th-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 7,302 people served in total, the 82nd-largest county figure in the state and 0.2% of the statewide total. The average system here reports serving 348 people, well 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 Howard County's drinking water come from?
By primary water source, Howard County's active systems draw on groundwater (21, 100%). Overall, all rely mainly on groundwater (including purchased groundwater) and none 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, Cresco Waterworks, draws primarily on groundwater.
What kinds of water systems operate in Howard County?
Howard County's active systems break down as 6 community systems (29%), 3 non-transient non-community systems (14%) and 12 transient non-community systems (57%). 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 non-transient non-community water system regularly serves at least 25 of the same people for more than six months a year, but not where they live. Schools, factories, office buildings and hospitals with their own supply are typical examples. 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 (48%), private (48%) and public/private partnership (4.8%).
Water systems in Howard County
🔒 Create a free account to export CSV| # | Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cresco Waterworks | Howard | 3,913 | Community | Groundwater |
| 2 | Riceville Water Supply | Howard + 1 more | 816 | Community | Groundwater |
| 3 | Elma Water Supply | Howard | 505 | Community | Groundwater |
| 4 | Lime Springs Water Supply | Howard | 473 | Community | Groundwater |
| 5 | Protivin Water Supply | Howard | 269 | Community | Groundwater |
| 6 | Lake Hendricks Park (East Well) | Howard | 192 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 7 | Our Lady of Lourdes Church | Howard | 165 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 8 | Iowa Contract Fabricators Inc. | Howard | 160 | Non-transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 9 | Prairies Edge Nature Center | Howard | 150 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 10 | Chester Water Supply | Howard | 139 | Community | Groundwater |
| 11 | St Pauls Maple Leaf Lutheran Church | Howard | 90 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 12 | Saratoga Community Church | Howard | 80 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 13 | Lidtke Park | Howard | 50 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 14 | Pine Grove Mennonite School | Howard | 48 | Non-transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 15 | Featherlite Manufacturing, LLC. | Howard | 45 | Non-transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 16 | Bodensteiner Impl (Ls) | Howard | 43 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 17 | Cedar Valley Kitchen | Howard | 42 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 18 | Cresco Golf and Country Club | Howard | 36 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 19 | Tricky'S Bar and Grill | Howard | 30 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 20 | Lake Hendricks Park (West Well) | Howard | 29 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 21 | Jos Longbranch | Howard | 27 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
Howard County water systems: frequently asked questions
How many public water systems are in Howard County, Iowa?
EPA's SDWIS records file 21 active public water systems under Howard County, Iowa: 6 community systems (29%), 3 non-transient non-community systems (14%) and 12 transient non-community systems (57%).
Who supplies drinking water in Howard County, IA?
The largest community water systems filed under Howard County are Cresco Waterworks (3,913 people served), Riceville Water Supply (816 people served) and Elma Water Supply (505 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 Howard County's drinking water come from groundwater or surface water?
Of the 21 active public water systems in Howard County, all draw mainly on groundwater and none on surface water, counting purchased supplies. The largest system, Cresco Waterworks, uses groundwater.
Where can I find a water quality report for Howard 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. 6 community systems are filed under Howard 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 Howard 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 Howard County, Iowa”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/iowa/howard (data as of October 1, 2026).