Public water system · IA8503528

Active

Isu

At a glance

Isu (PWSID IA8503528) is an active community water system in Story County, Iowa. It reports serving 42,000 people through 103 service connections. Its primary water source is purchased groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a state government. EPA's records list 11 violations for this system; 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2022.

Dataset updated October 2026 . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.

Population served

42,000

Service connections

103

Primary source

GWP

Purchased groundwater

System type

CWS

Community water system

System record

PWSIDIA8503528

System typeCommunity water system

Activity statusActive

Population served42,000

Service connections103

Primary water sourcePurchased groundwater

Owner typeState government

Primacy agencyIA state drinking water program

City servedAmes

StateIowa

ZIP—

CountyStory County

How does Isu compare with other water systems in Story County?

By EPA's size categories, Isu is a large system (10,001 to 100,000 people). Story County has 20 active public water systems, and Isu is the 2nd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 6.9 times the county average of 6,045 people per system, and accounts for 35% of the 120,903 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 Isu is about 6.3 times 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. Purchased groundwater means the system buys groundwater from another public water system rather than drawing its own. 156 Iowa systems (8.5%) list purchased groundwater as their primary source.

Who owns and regulates Isu?

EPA lists Isu as owned by a state 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. 1 of the 20 active systems in Story County (5%) are also owned by a state government.

Does Isu have drinking water violations?

EPA's records list 11 violations for this system; 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2022. The violations listed here began between December 1997 and October 2022. By type: 7 monitoring and reporting and 4 contaminant level above the legal limit. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (5 of them). EPA lists 11 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
2022-10-01	Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03	Nitritecode 1041	No	Resolved
2018-10-01	Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03	Nitritecode 1041	No	Resolved
2013-04-01	Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27	Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456	No	Resolved
2013-04-01	Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27	Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950	No	Resolved
2012-10-01	Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine (IDSE) · code 30	Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456	No	Resolved
2012-10-01	Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine (IDSE) · code 30	Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950	No	Resolved
2005-07-01	Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22	Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100	Yes	Resolved
2005-06-01	Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22	Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100	Yes	Resolved
2004-07-01	Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22	Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100	Yes	Resolved
1999-07-01	Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22	Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100	Yes	Resolved
1997-12-01	Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Minor (TCR) · code 24	Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100	No	Resolved

All 11 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.

Isu: frequently asked questions

Who runs Isu?

Isu (PWSID IA8503528) is a community water system owned by a state government. It is regulated by the IA state drinking water program.

How many people does Isu serve?

Isu reports serving 42,000 people through 103 service connections in Story County, Iowa.

Where does Isu get its water?

EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as purchased groundwater. Purchased groundwater means the system buys groundwater from another public water system rather than drawing its own.

Does Isu have any drinking water violations?

EPA's records list 11 violations for this system; 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2022. 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 Isu'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 11 violations for this system; 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2022. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the IA state drinking water program.

Where can I find Isu's water quality report?

As a community water system, Isu 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 Story County

Water system	County	Population served	Type	Source
Ames Water Treatment Plant	Story	55,177	Community	Groundwater
Nevada Water Supply	Story	6,925	Community	Groundwater
Huxley Waterworks Dept	Story	4,244	Community	Groundwater
Story City Water Dept	Story	3,357	Community	Groundwater
Slater Muni Water Dept	Story	1,548	Community	Purchased groundwater under influence
Roland Water Supply	Story	1,394	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, “Isu, PWSID IA8503528, Iowa”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/iowa/isu-ia8503528 (data as of October 1, 2026).