Water Quality Data
Drinking water supplied by Des Moines Water Works (DMWW) meets or surpasses the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the State of Iowa water quality standards. The water supplied by DMWW is safe from the time it leaves the treatment facility, through the plumbing system and out of your tap.
Immuno-compromised persons – such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, persons with HIV/AIDS or other immuno systems disorders – and elderly persons may want to discuss their drinking water concerns with their healthcare provider.
Des Moines Water Works Treated Water Quality by Treatment Plant
Sample results displayed are the most recent samplings available.
| Fleur | L.D. McMullen | Saylorville | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlorine mg/L | 1.465/15/2012 | 1.265/15/2012 | .925/15/2012 |
| Nitrate mg/L | 6.335/15/2012 | 5.365/14/2012 | 0.085/14/2012 |
| Hardness mg/L (gr/gal) | 134 (7.84)5/16/2012 | 130 (7.60)5/16/2012 | 122 (7.13)5/16/2012 |
| pH | 9.685/16/2012 | 9.455/14/2012 | 8.545/14/2012 |
| Fluoride mg/L | 0.685/15/2012 | 0.745/14/2012 | 0.655/14/2012 |
The EPA sets standards to define the limits of contaminants considered safe for drinking water. These levels are based on studies of the health effects associated with each contaminant and include a sufficient safety margin to ensure that the water meeting these standards is safe for nearly everyone to drink.
Safe drinking water, supplied by Des Moines Water Works (DMWW), meets or surpasses the EPA water quality standards. The water supplied by DMWW is safe from the time it leaves the treatment facility, through the plumbing system and out of your tap.
Immuno-compromised persons — such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, persons with HIV/AIDS or other immuno systems disorders — and elderly persons may want to discuss their drinking water concerns with their healthcare provider.
Thanks to a cooperative project between DMWW, Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Agriculture’s Clean Water Alliance (ACWA), you can get up-to-the-minute nitrate readings for the Raccoon River.
A remote monitoring device has been installed near the Van Meter Bridge, just downstream from the confluence of the north, middle and south branches of the Raccoon. This location has scientific importance because nitrate readings can be evaluated along with USGS flow data, for which there is nearly a 100-year record.
You can obtain the nitrate reading by going to the USGS website, check the nitrate box, then hit go.
