Public water system · IA4515902
ActivePrairies Edge Nature Center
At a glance
Prairies Edge Nature Center (PWSID IA4515902) is an active transient non-community water system in Howard County, Iowa. It reports serving 150 people through 49 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 2 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in June 2016.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
150
Service connections
49
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
TNCWS
Transient non-community water system
System record
How does Prairies Edge Nature Center compare with other water systems in Howard County?
By EPA's size categories, Prairies Edge Nature Center is a very small system (500 people or fewer). Howard County has 21 active public water systems. Its population served is about 57% below the county average of 348 people per system, and accounts for 2.1% 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 transient non-community water system reports serving 144 people, so Prairies Edge Nature Center is roughly in line with that figure.
What does “transient non-community water system” mean?
A transient non-community water system serves places where people do not stay long, such as gas stations and campgrounds, and regularly serves at least 25 people a day for at least 60 days a year. Iowa has 626 active transient non-community water systems, 34% 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 Prairies Edge Nature Center?
EPA lists Prairies Edge Nature Center 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 Prairies Edge Nature Center have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 2 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in June 2016. The violations listed here began between April 2006 and June 2016. By type: 1 monitoring and reporting and 1 contaminant level above the legal limit. The contaminants or rules involved are E. coli and Total coliform bacteria (TCR). EPA lists 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-06-27 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Source Water (GWR) · code 34 | E. colicode 3014 | No | Resolved |
| 2006-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
All 2 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.
Prairies Edge Nature Center: frequently asked questions
Who runs Prairies Edge Nature Center?
Prairies Edge Nature Center (PWSID IA4515902) is a transient non-community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the IA state drinking water program.
How many people does Prairies Edge Nature Center serve?
Prairies Edge Nature Center reports serving 150 people through 49 service connections in Howard County, Iowa.
Where does Prairies Edge Nature Center 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 Prairies Edge Nature Center have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 2 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in June 2016. 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 Prairies Edge Nature Center'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 2 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in June 2016. For current results, consult EPA ECHO, or the IA state drinking water program.
Where can I find Prairies Edge Nature Center's water quality report?
The annual Consumer Confidence Report requirement applies to community water systems. Prairies Edge Nature Center is a transient non-community water system, so it is not required to publish one; like every public water system, it must notify the people it serves about violations under EPA's public notification rules.
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 |
| Lime Springs Water Supply | Howard | 473 | Community | Groundwater |
| Protivin Water Supply | Howard | 269 | Community | Groundwater |
| Lake Hendricks Park (East Well) | Howard | 192 | 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, “Prairies Edge Nature Center, PWSID IA4515902, Iowa”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/iowa/prairies-edge-nature-center-ia4515902 (data as of October 1, 2026).