Public water system · IA7780042
ActiveUrbandale Water Utility
At a glance
Urbandale Water Utility (PWSID IA7780042) is an active community water system in Polk County, Iowa. It reports serving 45,605 people through 17,564 service connections. Its primary water source is purchased surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 2 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 1993.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
45,605
Service connections
17,564
Primary source
SWP
Purchased surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Urbandale Water Utility compare with other water systems in Polk County?
By EPA's size categories, Urbandale Water Utility is a large system (10,001 to 100,000 people). Polk County has 38 active public water systems, and Urbandale Water Utility is the 3rd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 3.5 times the county average of 12,857 people per system, and accounts for 9.3% of the 488,556 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 Urbandale Water Utility is about 6.8 times 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. Purchased surface water means the system buys surface water from another public water system rather than drawing its own. 119 Iowa systems (6.5%) list purchased surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Urbandale Water Utility?
EPA lists Urbandale Water Utility 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. 16 of the 38 active systems in Polk County (42%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Urbandale Water Utility have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 2 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 1993. The violations listed here began between October 1992 and July 1993. By type: 2 monitoring and reporting. The contaminants or rules involved are Total coliform bacteria (TCR) and Lead and Copper Rule. EPA lists 1 as archived and 1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
| 1992-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | 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.
Urbandale Water Utility: frequently asked questions
Who runs Urbandale Water Utility?
Urbandale Water Utility (PWSID IA7780042) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the IA state drinking water program.
How many people does Urbandale Water Utility serve?
Urbandale Water Utility reports serving 45,605 people through 17,564 service connections in Polk County, Iowa.
Where does Urbandale Water Utility get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as purchased surface water. Purchased surface water means the system buys surface water from another public water system rather than drawing its own.
Does Urbandale Water Utility have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 2 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 1993. 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 Urbandale Water Utility'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; none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 1993. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the IA state drinking water program.
Where can I find Urbandale Water Utility's water quality report?
As a community water system, Urbandale Water Utility 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 Polk County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines Water Works | Polk | 246,055 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Ankeny, City of | Polk | 76,207 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Johnston Municipal Water Supply | Polk | 24,897 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Clive Water Department | Polk | 20,277 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Altoona Water Supply | Polk | 19,565 | Community | Groundwater |
| Grimes Water Supply | Polk | 17,809 | 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, “Urbandale Water Utility, PWSID IA7780042, Iowa”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/iowa/urbandale-water-utility-ia7780042 (data as of October 1, 2026).