Public water system · IA4535081
ActiveLime Springs Water Supply
At a glance
Lime Springs Water Supply (PWSID IA4535081) is an active community water system in Howard County, Iowa. It reports serving 473 people through 252 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 9 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in March 2026.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
473
Service connections
252
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Lime Springs Water Supply compare with other water systems in Howard County?
By EPA's size categories, Lime Springs Water Supply is a very small system (500 people or fewer). Howard County has 21 active public water systems, and Lime Springs Water Supply is the 4th-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 36% above the county average of 348 people per system, and accounts for 6.5% of the 7,302 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 Lime Springs 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 Lime Springs Water Supply?
EPA lists Lime Springs 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. 10 of the 21 active systems in Howard County (48%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Lime Springs Water Supply have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 9 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in March 2026. The violations listed here began between July 1994 and March 2026. By type: 7 monitoring and reporting and 2 monitoring. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Revised Total Coliform Rule (2 of them). EPA lists 8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Archived |
| 2022-12-01 | Monitoring and reportingLead Consumer Notice · code 66 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2019-08-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2016-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 2011-12-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2011-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorinecode 0999 | No | Resolved |
| 1996-12-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 1994-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Ethylbenzenecode 2992 | No | Resolved |
| 1994-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Ethylbenzenecode 2992 | No | Resolved |
All 9 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.
Lime Springs Water Supply: frequently asked questions
Who runs Lime Springs Water Supply?
Lime Springs Water Supply (PWSID IA4535081) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the IA state drinking water program.
How many people does Lime Springs Water Supply serve?
Lime Springs Water Supply reports serving 473 people through 252 service connections in Howard County, Iowa.
Where does Lime Springs 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 Lime Springs Water Supply have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 9 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in March 2026. 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 Lime Springs 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. EPA's records list 9 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in March 2026. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the IA state drinking water program.
Where can I find Lime Springs Water Supply's water quality report?
As a community water system, Lime Springs 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 Howard County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cresco Waterworks | Howard | 3,913 | Community | Groundwater |
| Riceville Water Supply | Howard + 1 more | 816 | Community | Groundwater |
| Elma Water Supply | Howard | 505 | Community | Groundwater |
| Protivin Water Supply | Howard | 269 | Community | Groundwater |
| Lake Hendricks Park (East Well) | Howard | 192 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Our Lady of Lourdes Church | Howard | 165 | Transient non-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, “Lime Springs Water Supply, PWSID IA4535081, Iowa”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/iowa/lime-springs-water-supply-ia4535081 (data as of October 1, 2026).