Lee County, Iowa — public water systems
At a glance
7 active public water systems are filed under Lee County, Iowa in EPA's SDWIS records, together reporting 35,911 people served. The largest is Rathbun Reg Water Assn (Ft Madison), which reports serving 11,840 people. 6 are community water systems serving people where they live; the other 1 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
7
Population served
35.9K
Community systems
6
Groundwater share
42.9%
How does Lee County compare with other Iowa counties?
Lee County has the 76th-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 35,911 people served in total, the 20th-largest county figure in the state and 1.1% of the statewide total. The average system here reports serving 5,130 people, about 199% above 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 Lee County's drinking water come from?
By primary water source, Lee County's active systems draw on purchased surface water (3, 43%), groundwater (2, 29%), purchased groundwater (1, 14%) and surface water (1, 14%). Overall, 43% rely mainly on groundwater (including purchased groundwater) and 57% on surface water, compared with 92% and 7.8% across Iowa. Purchased surface water means the system buys surface water from another public water system rather than drawing its own. The county's largest system, Rathbun Reg Water Assn (Ft Madison), draws primarily on purchased surface water.
What kinds of water systems operate in Lee County?
Lee County's active systems break down as 6 community systems (86%) and 1 non-transient non-community systems (14%). 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. EPA lists their owner types as local government (71%) and private (29%).
Water systems in Lee County
🔒 Create a free account to export CSV| # | Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rathbun Reg Water Assn (Ft Madison) | Lee | 11,840 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 2 | Ft Madison Muni Water Works | Lee | 11,087 | Community | Groundwater |
| 3 | Keokuk Municipal Water Works | Lee | 9,900 | Community | Surface water |
| 4 | West Point Muni Water System | Lee | 921 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 5 | Donnellson Muni Water Works | Lee | 885 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| 6 | Montrose Water Works | Lee | 738 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 7 | Conagra Foods Packaged Foods LLC | Lee | 540 | Non-transient non-community | Groundwater |
Lee County water systems: frequently asked questions
How many public water systems are in Lee County, Iowa?
EPA's SDWIS records file 7 active public water systems under Lee County, Iowa: 6 community systems (86%) and 1 non-transient non-community systems (14%).
Who supplies drinking water in Lee County, IA?
The largest community water systems filed under Lee County are Rathbun Reg Water Assn (Ft Madison) (11,840 people served), Ft Madison Muni Water Works (11,087 people served) and Keokuk Municipal Water Works (9,900 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 Lee County's drinking water come from groundwater or surface water?
Of the 7 active public water systems in Lee County, 43% draw mainly on groundwater and 57% on surface water, counting purchased supplies. The largest system, Rathbun Reg Water Assn (Ft Madison), uses purchased surface water.
Where can I find a water quality report for Lee 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 Lee 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 Lee 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 Lee County, Iowa”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/iowa/lee (data as of October 1, 2026).