Community Water System · PWS IA1108025
Alta Municipal Water Plant
Alta, Iowa 51002 - drinking water served from groundwater sources to 2,087 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.
- 2,087
- People served
- 13
- EPA violations
- 4
- Health-based
- Untested
- UCMR5 result
The verdict
EPA records 13 drinking-water violations at Alta Municipal Water Plant, 31% of them health-based - below the Iowa per-system average.
- 13
- Total EPA violations on record
- 31%
- Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
- 2,087
- People served by this system
- N/A
- PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)
Water Quality Snapshot: Alta Municipal Water Plant
Alta Municipal Water Plant is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 2,087 residents in Alta, Iowa (Buena Vista County) through 790 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 13 total violations for this system , of which 4 (31%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. The most recent violation on record dates to 1994.
The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Coliform (TCR), recorded in 4 violations (MCL, health-based). This system has not yet been sampled under EPA's UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program, so no PFAS detection data is available here.
Across Iowa, EPA tracks 1,795 public water systems serving 3,114,444 people, with 138,271 cumulative violations and 27,946 health-based violations on record. About 95% of systems in the state carry at least one violation, and state-wide the average per system is 77 violations. Statewide, 127 of 152 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (83.6%).
Alta Municipal Water Plant's 13 violations sit below the Iowa average.
All figures above are sourced directly from EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 public data releases and are updated as EPA publishes new reporting cycles.
System Details
- System Type
- Community
- Owner Type
- Local
- Connections
- 790
- County
- Buena Vista
- School/Daycare
- No
- MCL Violations
- 4
- Monitoring Violations
- 0
- Treatment Tech Violations
- 0
Violation History
Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.
| Contaminant | Category | Count | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coliform (TCR) | MCL | 4 | 1994 |
Verify This Water System
The figures above are aggregated from EPA's public databases. To verify the underlying records, or to file a complaint, request a Consumer Confidence Report, or check current monitoring status, go directly to the federal and state regulators that enforce the Safe Drinking Water Act for Alta Municipal Water Plant.
EPA SDWIS, Federal Reports
EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) holds the federal compliance record for every regulated public water system. Open the system-level report by PWS ID:
View PWS ID IA1108025 on SDWISSource: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search
Iowa Drinking Water Authority
Iowa's primacy agency administers the Safe Drinking Water Act locally. Search EPA SDWIS for the current state contact, or use the state's public health or environment department portal.
Find IA regulator via EPA SDWISViolation Timeline
Each row links to the EPA SDWIS public record for verification. Cross-reference the contaminant code on EPA's federal report to see violation dates, return-to-compliance status, and enforcement actions.
| Year (latest) | Contaminant | Category | Count | EPA Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Coliform (TCR) | MCL | 4 | SDWIS / IA1108025 / 3100 |
How Alta Municipal Water Plant Compares
Cross-reference this system's record against state averages and the federal MCL framework for context.
| Metric | Alta Municipal Water Plant | Iowa avg | Federal benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total violations | 13 | 77 | SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach |
| Health-based violations | 4 | 15.6 | Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL |
| PFAS detection | None | 83.6% | EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt |
| Population served | 2,087 | 1,735 | Sizing context for compliance burden |
Sources: EPA SDWIS and EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (40 CFR Part 141). State averages computed across 1,795 regulated public water systems in Iowa.
Federal MCL reference, Safe Drinking Water Act thresholds ▼
| Contaminant | Federal MCL / Action Level | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Lead | 0 mg/L (Action Level: 0.015 mg/L) | Lead and Copper Rule treatment technique |
| Arsenic | 0.010 mg/L (10 ppb) | Health-based MCL since 2006 |
| Total Coliform | Treatment technique (RTCR) | Indicator organism, monitoring trigger |
| PFOA / PFOS (PFAS) | 4.0 ppt each (final 2024 rule) | Compliance deadline 2029 (EPA proposed extending to 2031, not yet final as of May 2026) |
| Nitrate (as N) | 10 mg/L | Acute health risk for infants |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Alta Municipal Water Plant water safe to drink? ▼
How many people does Alta Municipal Water Plant serve? ▼
What type of violations does Alta Municipal Water Plant have? ▼
Has PFAS been detected in Alta Municipal Water Plant water? ▼
What water source does Alta Municipal Water Plant use? ▼
Where does this data come from? ▼
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Every figure on PlainWater is rendered directly from EPA SDWIS drinking-water data, no number is typed in by an editor. This system's figures are rendered directly from EPA SDWIS data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.