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Is Washington, IA tap water safe?

2 utilities serve Washington, by EPA’s records. Here is what EPA’s and Iowa’s records show for each, against the legal limits and the stricter health goals.

Matched to your utility using EPA records.

The short answer

Neither of the 2 utilities serving Washington has a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and Iowa’s records.

Washington Water Department, which serves the most people here, has 1 result above EPA’s health benchmark. The worst: Lithium at 38 ppb, above EPA’s health benchmark. A health benchmark is a level EPA screens with, not a legal limit.

A town can be served by more than one utility, and some homes are on private wells. The name on your water bill tells you which is yours, and your ZIP code narrows it down. They are listed by how many people each serves in Washington’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.

Water testing near Washington

A utility tests the water it sends out. A test of your own tap shows what your pipes add, and on a private well it is the only test there is. It takes a lab Iowa certifies.

The 3 labs Iowa certifies closest to Washington, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.

  • State Hygienic Laboratory - Coralville

    Coralville, IA · about 28 miles

    Certified for bacteria, nitrate, organic chemicals, disinfection byproducts, PFAS, radioactivity

    (319) 335-4500

  • Ion Environmental Solutions

    Muscatine, IA · about 35 miles

    Certified for bacteria, nitrate

    (563) 299-2214

  • Linn County Public Health Department

    Cedar Rapids, IA · about 47 miles

    Certified for bacteria, nitrate

    (319) 892-6000

State Hygienic Laboratory at the University of Iowa: Through the Grants-to-Counties program, private well owners in participating counties can have their water tested for total coliform bacteria and nitrate. Start with the county sanitarian at your county health department. No cost in a participating county. The Grants-to-Counties Program, State Hygienic Lab at the University of Iowa.

All 36 certified labs for Iowa

ZIP codes in Washington

Which ZIP codes are in Washington: Census 2020 relationship files. Which utilities serve them, and how many people: EPA SDWIS and EPA’s service area map. Each utility’s results: EPA UCMR 5, EPA SDWIS, and EPA’s and the state’s compliance monitoring, as its report lists them. How they are measured: methodology. Certified labs: Iowa DNR, laboratories certified for drinking water; distances from the Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation area gazetteer.

Near Washington

Towns nearby with a page of their own.

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