Historical Compliance Records IA 13 HEALTH-BASED VIOLATIONS ON RECORD

Grinnell Water Department

EPA ID: IA7930008 ยท 9,564 people served ยท 1 ZIP code

ZipCheckup's reading of EPA records for Grinnell Water Department (IA7930008): 13 health-based violations recorded since 2021. Looking at the EPA enforcement file for Grinnell Water Department, 18 violations are listed in the dataset, and none is recorded as open for the 9,564 people in its service area.

Data: EPA SDWIS

9,564
People Served
1
ZIP Code Served
18
Violations (since 2021)
Groundwater
Water Source
0.0031 mg/L
Most recent lead 90th percentile on record (monitoring period ending 2025-12-31)
Zone 1
County Radon Potential ยท High
3
Contaminants Flagged
$198K
Median Home Value in ZIP Codes Served

Service Area Map

Coverage area for Grinnell Water Department Source: EPA SDWIS service area boundaries.

Service area boundary

Demographics of ZIP Codes Served

$64,707
Median Household Income
11,776
Population of ZIP Codes Served (Census)
0%
Disadvantaged Population
40th
Poverty Percentile
70th
Energy Burden Percentile
72%
Pre-1986 Housing

The ZIP codes associated with Grinnell Water Department have a median household income of $64,707 and about 11,776 residents live in those ZIP codes (Census; not the number of people this system supplies). Approximately 72% of housing stock was built before 1986, which increases the likelihood of lead service lines and older plumbing.

๐Ÿ’ง Where Does Your Water Come From?

Groundwater

Grinnell Water Department's water is classified in EPA records as a groundwater source. Groundwater is naturally filtered through rock and soil, but it can be vulnerable to PFAS contamination, nitrates from agriculture, and industrial chemicals that seep into the water table.

Moderate Risk
Source Contamination Risk
0th
Wastewater Discharge Proximity
40th
Superfund Site Proximity

Infrastructure Risk

48 yr
Estimated pipe age (modeled from housing age)
Copper
Likely pipe material (modeled)
22 yr
Est. Remaining Life
Accelerating decay (model estimate)
Decay Status
Installed 69% of expected lifespan used (estimate) End of life

Comparable Water Systems

Similar-sized systems in Iowa

0 violations
Denison Water Supply
9,381 people
0 violations
Fairfield Water Supply
9,821 people
1 violation
0 violations
0 violations

Estimated Remediation Costs

Average estimated costs across ZIP codes served by this system

Water Filtration
Water Filtration $600
Total Estimated Cost $600

Based on national averages for common remediation projects. Actual costs vary by property. Only issues flagged by EPA, FEMA, or state data for each ZIP code are included.

Cost of Inaction

Illustrative per-household cost scenario based on stated assumptions:

Estimated Healthcare Costs $1,500

Annual per household (ZipCheckup estimate)

Estimated Property Value Decline $9,905

5% of median home value (ZipCheckup estimate)

Estimated Cumulative Cost Per Household

5 years
$12,455
10 years
$24,910
20 years
$49,820

Compare: Estimated remediation cost is $600 (one-time) vs. $24,910 in estimated inaction costs over 10 years.

Individual costs vary by household size, property, and health factors. These estimates are for awareness, not financial advice.

System Overview

Grinnell Water Department (EPA ID: IA7930008) is a community water system in Iowa that serves approximately 9,564 people from groundwater sources.

This system serves ZIP code 50112 in Grinnell.

Violation History

No current noncompliance in the accepted 2026Q2 snapshot. The 18 records in the 2021-2026 window are classified as resolved or archived, not current.

Status breakdown for accepted records with record years 2021-2026: 3 resolved, 15 archived, 0 addressed, and 0 unaddressed. Under this source contract, current noncompliance is the sum of addressed and unaddressed records. Archived and resolved records are excluded from current noncompliance.

Recent Violations

Date Contaminant Type Status
January 1, 2026 Combined Radium (-226 and -228) Health-based Archived
October 1, 2025 Combined Radium (-226 and -228) Health-based Archived
July 1, 2025 Gross Alpha Non-health-based Archived
July 1, 2025 Combined Radium (-226 and -228) Non-health-based Archived
April 1, 2025 Combined Radium (-226 and -228) Health-based Archived
January 1, 2025 Gross Alpha Health-based Archived
January 1, 2025 Combined Radium (-226 and -228) Health-based Archived
December 17, 2024 Public Notice Non-health-based Resolved
October 1, 2024 Combined Radium (-226 and -228) Health-based Archived
October 1, 2024 Gross Alpha Health-based Archived
July 1, 2024 Combined Radium (-226 and -228) Health-based Archived
July 1, 2024 Gross Alpha Health-based Archived
April 1, 2024 Combined Radium (-226 and -228) Health-based Archived
April 1, 2024 Gross Alpha Health-based Archived
January 1, 2024 Combined Radium (-226 and -228) Health-based Archived
January 1, 2024 Gross Alpha Health-based Archived
July 1, 2023 Combined Radium (-226 and -228) Non-health-based Resolved
July 1, 2023 Gross Alpha Non-health-based Resolved

Contaminants Detected

The following contaminants have been flagged in EPA records for this water system:

Contaminant Category Violations Health-Based
Combined Radium (-226 and -228) MCL Violation, Monitoring & Reporting 10 Yes
Gross Alpha MCL Violation, Monitoring & Reporting 7 Yes
Public Notice Other (notice or report rule) 1 No

Health Risk Details

Gross Alpha Particle Activity (EPA limit: pCi/L)

Increased cancer risk from radioactive particles At-risk groups: long-term residents in areas with uranium or radium-rich geology, people on private wells in western US.

Treatment options (verify a product is certified to reduce this contaminant): reverse osmosis, ion exchange, lime softening. Find the right filter โ†’

Lead & Copper

EPA Lead and Copper Rule evidence attributed directly to this water system:

Lead Level Exceeds Action Level Sample Date
0.0031 mg/L No 2025-12-31

No copper action-level exceedance record appears for this PWSID in the accepted LCR snapshot. This does not establish a clean copper measurement.

Radon Risk in Service Area

1 of 1 ZIP records with known zones is in EPA Radon Zone 1.

The EPA recommends testing all homes regardless of radon zone. County radon zones cannot replace an in-home radon test.

ZIP Codes Served

Coverage: Service area ZIP codes sourced from EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3 (March 2026 release). These ZIPs reflect the actual deployment footprint recorded by IA or modeled from parcel and building-footprint data.

Data Sources

This report uses public data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). View available EPA compliance records for Grinnell Water Department (IA7930008) on EPA.gov.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Grinnell Water Department water safe to drink?

The accepted 2026Q2 ECHO snapshot shows no current noncompliance for Grinnell Water Department; its 18 accepted 2021-2026 records are resolved or archived. Historical compliance status does not establish conditions at a specific tap.

How many people does Grinnell Water Department serve?

Grinnell Water Department serves approximately 9,564 people across 1 ZIP code in Iowa.

Where does Grinnell Water Department get its water?

The primary water source is groundwater.

Federal UCMR5 PFAS Monitoring: No PFAS Reported Above Reporting Levels

This water system was tested under the federal EPA Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR5). No PFAS compounds were reported above UCMR5 minimum reporting levels.

Samples collected
58

EPA's April 2024 PFAS rule sets MCLs of 4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS and 10 ppt for PFHxS, PFNA and HFPO-DA (GenX); water systems must comply from 2029. Other PFAS compounds have no individual federal MCL. A state standard is shown only where this system's state has its own enforceable PFAS limit. Detection results are EPA UCMR5 samples, not a measurement at your tap.

Source: U.S. EPA UCMR5 (Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, 5th cycle) โ€” per-system federal sampling, 2023โ€“2025. EPA UCMR5 monitoring program โ†’

Understand PFAS health context and filtration โ†’

How Water Systems Appear in Rankings

Water systems are evaluated by violation history, contaminant detections, and service population. Larger systems with more service connections appear in more rankings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I use a water filter? ▼
Given 18 recorded violations, review the violation types and dates; a filter certified for a specific contaminant of concern can reduce that contaminant at the tap. Monitoring or reporting violations are not something a filter addresses.
How many people does Grinnell Water Department serve? ▼
Grinnell Water Department serves approximately 9,564 people with drinking water across 1 ZIP code.
What is Grinnell Water Department's water source? ▼
Grinnell Water Department draws water from groundwater sources. Source type affects which contaminants are most likely to be present.
Is there lead in Grinnell Water Department's water? ▼
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result on record is 0.0031 mg/L (sample period ending 2025-12-31). This is at or below the EPA lead action level, which triggers system action and is not a safe level; the EPA health goal for lead is zero.
What is the demographic profile of the ZIP codes associated with Grinnell Water Department? ▼
The ZIP codes mapped to Grinnell Water Department have a median household income of $64,707 (Census ZIP-code estimate). Demographic data is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau and EPA EJScreen.
Where does Grinnell Water Department get its water? ▼
Grinnell Water Department's water is classified in EPA records as a groundwater source. Groundwater is naturally filtered through rock and soil, but it can be vulnerable to PFAS contamination, nitrates from agriculture, and industrial chemicals that seep into the water table. Based on the available data, the modeled source-contamination category is moderate; test local water to assess actual exposure.

How to cite this page

APA ZipCheckup. (n.d.). Grinnell Water Department (IA): 13 Health Violations. https://zipcheckup.com/water-system/ia7930008/
BibTeX
@misc{zipcheckup-water-system-ia7930008,
  author = {{ZipCheckup}},
  title  = {{Grinnell Water Department (IA): 13 Health Violations}},
  year   = {n.d.},
  url    = {https://zipcheckup.com/water-system/ia7930008/}
}

What You Can Do

1

Test your water

Home test kits can detect lead, bacteria, and other contaminants at your tap. Find the right filter โ†’

2

Check your specific ZIP code

Water quality can vary within a system. View nearest ZIP report โ†’

3

Contact your utility

Grinnell Water Department (EPA ID: IA7930008) - request the latest Consumer Confidence Report or ask about specific contaminants.

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