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Winnebago County, Iowa — public water systems

At a glance

19 active public water systems are filed under Winnebago County, Iowa in EPA's SDWIS records, together reporting 9,425 people served. The largest is Forest City Water Supply, which reports serving 4,285 people. 7 are community water systems serving people where they live; the other 12 are non-community systems, such as schools, workplaces, campgrounds and gas stations with their own supply.

Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO, refreshed quarterly.

Active systems

19

Population served

9.4K

Community systems

7

Groundwater share

100%

How does Winnebago County compare with other Iowa counties?

Winnebago County has the 33rd-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 9,425 people served in total, the 67th-largest county figure in the state and 0.3% of the statewide total. The average system here reports serving 496 people, well below 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 Winnebago County's drinking water come from?

By primary water source, Winnebago County's active systems draw on groundwater (19, 100%). 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, Forest City Water Supply, draws primarily on groundwater.

What kinds of water systems operate in Winnebago County?

Winnebago County's active systems break down as 7 community systems (37%), 3 non-transient non-community systems (16%) and 9 transient non-community systems (47%). 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. A non-transient non-community water system regularly serves at least 25 of the same people for more than six months a year, but not where they live. Schools, factories, office buildings and hospitals with their own supply are typical examples. 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. EPA lists their owner types as private (53%), local government (42%) and state government (5.3%).

Water systems in Winnebago County

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Active public water systems in Winnebago County, Iowa
#Water systemCountyPopulation servedTypeSource
1Forest City Water SupplyWinnebago4,285CommunityGroundwater
2Lake Mills Municipal Water Dept-SouthWinnebago2,158CommunityGroundwater
3Buffalo Center Muni Water DeptWinnebago857CommunityGroundwater
4Thompson Water WorksWinnebago499CommunityGroundwater
5Three Fingers CampgroundWinnebago252Transient non-communityGroundwater
6Leland Water SupplyWinnebago249CommunityGroundwater
7Rake Water SupplyWinnebago186CommunityGroundwater
8Iowa Cage Free - ThompsonWinnebago170Non-transient non-communityGroundwater
9Five Star Cooperative (Scarville)Winnebago114Non-transient non-communityGroundwater
10Super BowlWinnebago110Transient non-communityGroundwater
11Rice Lake Golf & Country ClubWinnebago100Transient non-communityGroundwater
12Scarville Lutheran ChurchWinnebago95Non-transient non-communityGroundwater
13Word of Faith Dominion ChurchWinnebago81Transient non-communityGroundwater
14The Barn (Buffalo Center)Winnebago60Transient non-communityGroundwater
15Thorpe Park-Winnebago ConservationWinnebago60Transient non-communityGroundwater
16Pilot Knob State Park-CampgroundWinnebago50Transient non-communityGroundwater
17Rocky Knoll MHPWinnebago49CommunityGroundwater
18Christensen Farms Midwest LLCWinnebago25Transient non-communityGroundwater
19Winnebago Cc Environmental Educ CenterWinnebago25Transient non-communityGroundwater

Winnebago County water systems: frequently asked questions

How many public water systems are in Winnebago County, Iowa?

EPA's SDWIS records file 19 active public water systems under Winnebago County, Iowa: 7 community systems (37%), 3 non-transient non-community systems (16%) and 9 transient non-community systems (47%).

Who supplies drinking water in Winnebago County, IA?

The largest community water systems filed under Winnebago County are Forest City Water Supply (4,285 people served), Lake Mills Municipal Water Dept-South (2,158 people served) and Buffalo Center Muni Water Dept (857 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 Winnebago County's drinking water come from groundwater or surface water?

Of the 19 active public water systems in Winnebago County, all draw mainly on groundwater and none on surface water, counting purchased supplies. The largest system, Forest City Water Supply, uses groundwater.

Where can I find a water quality report for Winnebago 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 Winnebago 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 Winnebago 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 Winnebago County, Iowa”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/iowa/winnebago (data as of October 1, 2026).