How Safe is Iowa’s Drinking Water? All Major Cities Ranked

How safe is the drinking water in Des Moines? How much arsenic is in the water in Sioux City? What are the nitrate levels for tap water in Waterloo?

You can find out all of this information and a lot more, thanks to a handy website that has the drinking water stats for nearly every region of the United States.

Whether you realize it or not, the U.S. has some of the safest drinking water on tap in the entire world. This is (in part) a thanks to the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974, and since it became law, every state in the country has improved its water quality on a tremendous scale.

With that being said, some cities and towns in the Hawkeye State are far better than others, when it comes to their tap water. In fact, as we take a look at the water quality of some of the biggest cities in Iowa, the results of the town you call "home", may surprise you.

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Waterloo/Cedar Falls, Iowa, Metro Population: 175,00 Residents

According to the Environmental Working Group Website (EWG) these are the findings in Waterloo/Cedar Falls tap water:
Arsenic: 0.856 ppb (parts per billion). This is below the legal limit of 10 ppb, however, it's above the national average of 0.624 ppb.

Nitrates: 5.88 ppm (parts per million). This is below the legal limit of 10 ppm, but far above the national average of 0.824.

This can be seen as a cause of concern as both arsenic and nitrates (in high levels) are linked to cancer.

Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Metro Population: 276,000 Residents

Arsenic: 0.527 ppb (parts per billion). This is below the legal limit of 10 ppb, and (unlike Waterloo) it's also below the national average of 0.624 ppb.

Nitrates: 2.41 ppm (parts per million). This is below the legal limit of 10 ppm, but still above the national average of 0.824.

Des Moines, Iowa, Metro Population: 737,500 Residents

Item of note: According to the Des Moines Water Works, their "treated water and the source water from the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers contain no detectable arsenic. Furthermore, their lime-softening treatment process is effective at removing arsenic if it were present, according to Des Moines Water Works."

Nitrates: 1.72 ppm (parts per million). This is below the legal limit of 10 ppm, but still slightly above the national average of 0.824.

Davenport, Iowa, Metro Population: 384,300 Residents

Arsenic: No official arsenic stats are listed for Davenport, however, other sources state that its drinking water is "generally below the EPA's maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 10 parts per billion (ppb)."

Nitrates: 2.35 ppm (parts per million). This is below the legal limit of 10 ppm, but still above the national average of 0.824.

State of Iowa As A Whole Population: 3.241 Million Residents

The following are the average state levels for drinking water contaminants in Iowa. These contaminants all increase the risk of cancer if consumed at high levels:

Arsenic: State Average: 0.479 ppb, National Average: 0.624 ppb

Nitrates: State Average: 1.75 ppm, National Average: 0.824 ppm

Uranium: State Average: 1.65 pCi/L , National Average: 1.03 pCi/L

Chloroform: State Average: 14.7 ppb, National Average: 16.2 ppb

Chromium: State Average: 0.602 ppb, National Average: 0.44 ppb

This is just a small sample of the contaminants tested and you can see the full list (including results for lead) for the state of Iowa and your hometown, including Sioux City, Council Bluffs, Ankeny, and more at the EWG here. Just simply enter your city's zip code to see the data.

I first learned about this website from a video on the rise of bottled water in the U.S. Believe it or not, bottled water hasn't always been a big deal in America. And more often than not, the water out of your own sink is better for you than the expensive bottled water you can buy at your local grocery store. You can see the original video below.

Story Sources: Environmental Working Group Website, Environmental Protection Agency Website