O'Brien County, Iowa — public water systems
At a glance
7 active public water systems are filed under O'Brien County, Iowa in EPA's SDWIS records, together reporting 11,182 people served. The largest is Sheldon Water Department, which reports serving 5,512 people. All 7 are community water systems serving people where they live.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO, refreshed quarterly.
Active systems
7
Population served
11.2K
Community systems
7
Groundwater share
100%
How does O'Brien County compare with other Iowa counties?
O'Brien County has the 78th-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 11,182 people served in total, the 59th-largest county figure in the state and 0.4% of the statewide total. The average system here reports serving 1,597 people, roughly in line with 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 O'Brien County's drinking water come from?
By primary water source, O'Brien County's active systems draw on groundwater (5, 71%) and purchased groundwater (2, 29%). 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, Sheldon Water Department, draws primarily on groundwater.
What kinds of water systems operate in O'Brien County?
O'Brien County's active systems break down as 7 community systems (100%). 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. EPA lists their owner types as local government (100%).
Water systems in O'Brien County
🔒 Create a free account to export CSV| # | Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sheldon Water Department | O'Brien | 5,512 | Community | Groundwater |
| 2 | Hartley Municipal Water Department | O'Brien | 1,605 | Community | Groundwater |
| 3 | Sanborn Water Supply | O'Brien | 1,392 | Community | Groundwater |
| 4 | Paullina Municipal Water Supply | O'Brien | 996 | Community | Groundwater |
| 5 | Primghar Municipal Water Supply | O'Brien | 902 | Community | Groundwater |
| 6 | Sutherland Water Supply | O'Brien | 629 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| 7 | Calumet Water Supply | O'Brien | 146 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
O'Brien County water systems: frequently asked questions
How many public water systems are in O'Brien County, Iowa?
EPA's SDWIS records file 7 active public water systems under O'Brien County, Iowa: 7 community systems (100%).
Who supplies drinking water in O'Brien County, IA?
The largest community water systems filed under O'Brien County are Sheldon Water Department (5,512 people served), Hartley Municipal Water Department (1,605 people served) and Sanborn Water Supply (1,392 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 O'Brien County's drinking water come from groundwater or surface water?
Of the 7 active public water systems in O'Brien County, all draw mainly on groundwater and none on surface water, counting purchased supplies. The largest system, Sheldon Water Department, uses groundwater.
Where can I find a water quality report for O'Brien 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. 7 community systems are filed under O'Brien 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 O'Brien 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 O'Brien County, Iowa”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/iowa/o-brien (data as of October 1, 2026).