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
🔒 Create a free account to export CSV| # | Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Forest City Water Supply | Winnebago | 4,285 | Community | Groundwater |
| 2 | Lake Mills Municipal Water Dept-South | Winnebago | 2,158 | Community | Groundwater |
| 3 | Buffalo Center Muni Water Dept | Winnebago | 857 | Community | Groundwater |
| 4 | Thompson Water Works | Winnebago | 499 | Community | Groundwater |
| 5 | Three Fingers Campground | Winnebago | 252 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 6 | Leland Water Supply | Winnebago | 249 | Community | Groundwater |
| 7 | Rake Water Supply | Winnebago | 186 | Community | Groundwater |
| 8 | Iowa Cage Free - Thompson | Winnebago | 170 | Non-transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 9 | Five Star Cooperative (Scarville) | Winnebago | 114 | Non-transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 10 | Super Bowl | Winnebago | 110 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 11 | Rice Lake Golf & Country Club | Winnebago | 100 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 12 | Scarville Lutheran Church | Winnebago | 95 | Non-transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 13 | Word of Faith Dominion Church | Winnebago | 81 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 14 | The Barn (Buffalo Center) | Winnebago | 60 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 15 | Thorpe Park-Winnebago Conservation | Winnebago | 60 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 16 | Pilot Knob State Park-Campground | Winnebago | 50 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 17 | Rocky Knoll MHP | Winnebago | 49 | Community | Groundwater |
| 18 | Christensen Farms Midwest LLC | Winnebago | 25 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 19 | Winnebago Cc Environmental Educ Center | Winnebago | 25 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
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
- All Iowa public water systems· 1,828 active
- Story County· 20 systems
- Buchanan County· 20 systems
- Franklin County· 20 systems
- Harrison County· 20 systems
- Black Hawk County· 18 systems
- Floyd County· 18 systems
- How to find out who supplies your drinking water
- How to find and read your annual water quality report
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).