We read 10 results from University Water System’s 2025 water quality report. No results over a legal limit or above a health goal.
Serves about 26,684 people · Water system ID IA5225101 · Read the district’s 2025 report (opens in a new tab)
Open this district in the water lookupCompare with your own test results, see the district map and get matched filters.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chlorinehighest running annual average · range 0.73 to 2.6 · listed as a violation in the report · Distribution system · 2025 report, page 3 | 1.8 ppm | None set | 4 ppm | Below the legal limit |
| Dalapon (herbicide)single sample · listed as a violation in the report · sampled 2021 · Treatment plant · 2025 report, page 2 | 0.6 ppb | 200 ppb | 200 ppb | Below the health goal |
| Disinfection byproducts (HAA5)highest running annual average · range 7 to 24 · listed as a violation in the report · Distribution system · 2025 report, page 3 | 13 ppb | None set | 60 ppb | Below the legal limit |
| Disinfection byproducts (TTHM)highest running annual average · range 33 to 86 · listed as a violation in the report · Distribution system · 2025 report, page 3 | 60 ppb | None set | 80 ppb | Below the legal limit |
| Fluoridesingle sample · range 0.21 to 0.88 · listed as a violation in the report · Treatment plant · 2025 report, page 2 | 0.88 ppm | 1 ppm | 4 ppm | Below the health goal |
| Lead90th percentile of homes tested, 0 over the action level · listed as a violation in the report · sampled 2024 · Customer taps · 2025 report, page 2 | Not detected | 0.2 ppb | 15 ppb (action level) | Not detected |
| Nitrate (as N)single sample · range 1.4 to 5.4 · listed as a violation in the report · Treatment plant · 2025 report, page 2 | 5.4 ppm | 10 ppm | 10 ppm | Below the health goal |
| Turbidity (cloudiness)highest measured · listed as a violation in the report · Treatment plant · 2025 report, page 2 | 0.08 NTU | None set | 1 NTU | Below the legal limit |
| Lithiumaverage · range ND to 72 · sampled 2024 · Water treatment plant · 2025 report, page 3 | 52.5 ppb | None set | None | No health limit |
| Sodiumsingle sample · listed as a violation in the report · Treatment plant · 2025 report, page 2 | 9.4 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. 1 number we weren’t sure about is held back until a person checks.
EPA testing for PFAS and lithium
EPA’s own nationwide testing (UCMR 5) found these in University Water System’s water between Jan 2024 and Oct 2024. These are EPA lab results, separate from the district’s report. Anything not listed was not detected.
- Lithium72 ppbFound in 2 of 4 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 in this report is above a health goal or legal limit. If you’re bothered by taste, smell, hardness or spots, or your home has older pipes, the filter catalog and buyer questions can help you pick, and a test of your own tap shows what your plumbing adds.
More districts: Iowa water quality · All states · Something look wrong? Tell us