Public water system · IA1838032
ActiveMarcus Water Supply
At a glance
Marcus Water Supply (PWSID IA1838032) is an active community water system in Cherokee County, Iowa. It reports serving 1,079 people through 616 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, 8 are health-based, and the most recent began in July 2018.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
1,079
Service connections
616
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Marcus Water Supply compare with other water systems in Cherokee County?
By EPA's size categories, Marcus Water Supply is a small system (501 to 3,300 people). Cherokee County has 12 active public water systems, and Marcus Water Supply is the 4th-largest of them by population served. Its population served is roughly in line with the county average of 1,096 people per system, and accounts for 8.2% of the 13,149 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 Marcus 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 Marcus Water Supply?
EPA lists Marcus 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. 8 of the 12 active systems in Cherokee County (67%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Marcus Water Supply have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 8 are health-based, and the most recent began in July 2018. The violations listed here began between April 1979 and July 2018. By type: 8 contaminant level above the legal limit and 4 monitoring and reporting. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Combined Radium (-226 and -228) (6 of them). EPA lists 8 as archived and 4 as resolved. 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. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitritecode 1041 | No | Resolved |
| 2016-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium)code 4000 | No | Resolved |
| 1991-03-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 1989-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Combined Radium (-226 and -228)code 4010 | No | Resolved |
| 1985-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium)code 4000 | Yes | Archived |
| 1985-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Combined Radium (-226 and -228)code 4010 | Yes | Archived |
| 1984-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Combined Radium (-226 and -228)code 4010 | Yes | Archived |
| 1983-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample · code 01 | Combined Radium (-226 and -228)code 4010 | Yes | Archived |
| 1983-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample · code 01 | Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium)code 4000 | Yes | Archived |
| 1980-08-04 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Combined Radium (-226 and -228)code 4010 | Yes | Archived |
| 1980-08-04 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium)code 4000 | Yes | Archived |
| 1979-04-24 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Combined Radium (-226 and -228)code 4010 | 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.
Marcus Water Supply: frequently asked questions
Who runs Marcus Water Supply?
Marcus Water Supply (PWSID IA1838032) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the IA state drinking water program.
How many people does Marcus Water Supply serve?
Marcus Water Supply reports serving 1,079 people through 616 service connections in Cherokee County, Iowa.
Where does Marcus 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 Marcus Water Supply have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 8 are health-based, and the most recent began in July 2018. 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 Marcus 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, 8 are health-based, and the most recent began in July 2018. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the IA state drinking water program.
Where can I find Marcus Water Supply's water quality report?
As a community water system, Marcus 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 Cherokee County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherokee Water Supply - Plant 1 | Cherokee | 5,199 | Community | Groundwater |
| Cherokee Rws - Cherokee Subsystem | Cherokee | 3,315 | Community | Groundwater |
| Cherokee Rws- Mill Creek Subsystem | Cherokee | 1,451 | Community | Groundwater |
| Aurelia Water Supply | Cherokee | 968 | Community | Groundwater |
| Quimby Water Supply | Cherokee | 249 | Community | Groundwater |
| Cleghorn Water Supply | Cherokee | 240 | 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, “Marcus Water Supply, PWSID IA1838032, Iowa”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/iowa/marcus-water-supply-ia1838032 (data as of October 1, 2026).