We read 17 results from Cedar Falls Municipal Water Utilities’s 2025 water quality report. No results over a legal limit; 5 above a health goal or guideline.
Serves about 40,713 people · Water system ID IA0709084 · Read the district’s 2025 report (opens in a new tab)
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Results from the 2025 report
Each number is copied from the district’s report and links to the page it’s printed on. Where the report lists several plants, wells or purchased water, the highest is shown.
| Contaminant | Result | Health goal | Legal limit | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenichighest measured · range ND to 2.2 · listed as a violation in the report · sampled 2021 · Wells · 2025 report, page 9 | 2.2 ppb | 0.004 ppb | 10 ppb | Above the health goal550x the health goal |
| Gross alpha (radioactivity)highest measured · range ND to 2.9 · listed as a violation in the report · sampled 2021 · Wells · 2025 report, page 9 | 2.9 pCi/L | 0 pCi/L | 15 pCi/L | Above the health goalThe health goal is zero |
| Lead90th percentile of homes tested · listed as a violation in the report · Customer taps · 2025 report, page 10 | 1.4 ppb | 0.2 ppb | 15 ppb (action level) | Above the health goal7x the health goal |
| PFOA (a PFAS)highest measured · range ND to 1.1 · Wells · 2025 report, page 10 | 1.1 ppt | 0.007 ppt | 4 ppt from 2029 | Above the health goal157x the health goal |
| Radium (combined 226 + 228)highest measured · range ND to 1.2 · listed as a violation in the report · sampled 2021 · Wells · 2025 report, page 10 | 1.2 pCi/L | 0 pCi/L | 5 pCi/L | Above the health goalThe health goal is zero |
| Bariumhighest measured · range 0.09 to 0.19 · listed as a violation in the report · sampled 2021 · Wells · 2025 report, page 9 | 0.19 ppm | 2 ppm | 2 ppm | Below the health goal |
| Chlorinehighest running annual average · range 0.48 to 1.39 · listed as a violation in the report · Distribution system · 2025 report, page 10 | 1.1 ppm | None set | 4 ppm | Below the legal limit |
| Copper90th percentile of homes tested · listed as a violation in the report · Customer taps · 2025 report, page 10 | 0.3 ppm | 0.3 ppm | 1.3 ppm (action level) | Below the health goal |
| DEHP (a phthalate)highest measured · range ND to 1.1 · listed as a violation in the report · sampled 2023 · Wells · 2025 report, page 9 | 1.1 ppb | 12 ppb | 6 ppb | Below the health goal |
| Disinfection byproducts (HAA5)highest running annual average · range 6 to 6 · listed as a violation in the report · Distribution system · 2025 report, page 10 | 6 ppb | None set | 60 ppb | Below the legal limit |
| Disinfection byproducts (TTHM)highest running annual average · range 8 to 8 · listed as a violation in the report · Distribution system · 2025 report, page 10 | 8 ppb | None set | 80 ppb | Below the legal limit |
| Fluoridehighest measured · range 0.3 to 0.86 · listed as a violation in the report · Wells · 2025 report, page 9 | 0.86 ppm | 1 ppm | 4 ppm | Below the health goal |
| Nitrate (as N)highest measured · range ND to 9.5 · listed as a violation in the report · Wells · 2025 report, page 9 | 9.5 ppm | 10 ppm | 10 ppm | Below the health goal |
| PFOS (a PFAS)highest measured · range ND to 0.92 · Wells · 2025 report, page 10 | 0.92 ppt | 1 ppt | 4 ppt from 2029 | Below the health goal |
| Seleniumhighest measured · range ND to 2.3 · listed as a violation in the report · sampled 2021 · Wells · 2025 report, page 9 | 2.3 ppb | 30 ppb | 50 ppb | Below the health goal |
| Sulfatehighest measured · range 19.6 to 55.4 · listed as a violation in the report · sampled 2021 · Wells · 2025 report, page 9 | 55.4 ppm | — | 250 ppm guideline | Within the guideline |
| Sodiumhighest measured · range 5.3 to 15.6 · listed as a violation in the report · Wells · 2025 report, page 9 | 15.6 ppm | None set | None | No health limit |
Utility results describe the whole system, measured where water enters the pipes, not your tap. Your home’s plumbing can add lead or copper.
EPA testing for PFAS and lithium
EPA’s own nationwide testing (UCMR 5) found these in Cedar Falls Municipal Water Utilities’s water between Jun 2023 and Dec 2023. These are EPA lab results, separate from the district’s report. Anything not listed was not detected.
- Lithium15.2 ppbFound in 10 of 16 samples · highest resultAbove EPA’s health reference level of 10 ppb (a guide, not a legal limit)
Source: EPA UCMR 5 occurrence data. The highest single result is shown; one high sample doesn’t mean every glass is that high.
What you can do
Nothing here is an emergency notice: if the district has a violation, it must tell customers directly. If you’d like to lower these at your tap, these are the treatments that remove them, and the catalog shows the models certified for each. Ranking is by certified removal; commissions never change the order.
Radium and uranium
Found: Gross alpha (radioactivity), Radium (combined 226 + 228)
What removes it: Reverse osmosis.
Lead
Found: Lead
What removes it: Certified carbon block or RO.
PFAS ("forever chemicals")
Found: PFOA (a PFAS)
What removes it: Reverse osmosis.
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