PlainWater
StatesIowa

MARCUS WATER SUPPLY

PWS ID: IA1838032 · MARCUS, Iowa 51035

MARCUS WATER SUPPLY serves 1,079 people in MARCUS, Iowa using Groundwater water sources. It has 54 recorded EPA violations, including 25 health-based violations. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing.

Water Quality Snapshot: MARCUS WATER SUPPLY

MARCUS WATER SUPPLY is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 1,079 residents in MARCUS, Iowa (Cherokee County) through 616 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 54 total violations for this system , of which 25 (46%) are health-based — meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 25 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2018.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Combined Radium (-226 and -228), recorded in 19 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. MARCUS WATER SUPPLY's 54 violations sit below the Iowa average. Statewide, 127 of 152 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (83.6%). All figures above are sourced directly from EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 public data releases and are updated as EPA publishes new reporting cycles.

Population Served
1,079
Total Violations
54
Health-Based Violations
25
Water Source
Groundwater

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
616
County
Cherokee
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
25
Monitoring Violations
25
Treatment Tech Violations
0

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Combined Radium (-226 and -228) MCL 19 1985
Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon and U MR 9 2016
Coliform (TCR) MR 8 1991
Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon and U MCL 6 1985
Combined Radium (-226 and -228) MR 4 1989
Nitrite MR 4 2018

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 MARCUS WATER SUPPLY.

Federal Source of Truth

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 IA1838032 on SDWIS

Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search

State Regulator

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 SDWIS

Violation 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
2018 Nitrite MR 4 SDWIS / IA1838032 / 1041
2016 Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon and U MR 9 SDWIS / IA1838032 / 4000
1991 Coliform (TCR) MR 8 SDWIS / IA1838032 / 3100
1989 Combined Radium (-226 and -228) MR 4 SDWIS / IA1838032 / 4010
1985 Combined Radium (-226 and -228) MCL 19 SDWIS / IA1838032 / 4010
1985 Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon and U MCL 6 SDWIS / IA1838032 / 4000

How MARCUS WATER SUPPLY Compares

Cross-reference this system's record against state averages and the federal MCL framework for context.

Metric MARCUS WATER SUPPLY Iowa avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 54 77 SDWA compliance — any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 25 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 1,079 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
Nitrate (as N) 10 mg/L Acute health risk for infants

Frequently Asked Questions

Is MARCUS WATER SUPPLY water safe to drink?
MARCUS WATER SUPPLY (PWS ID: IA1838032) has 54 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 1,079 people using Groundwater sources.
How many people does MARCUS WATER SUPPLY serve?
MARCUS WATER SUPPLY serves 1,079 people in MARCUS, Iowa. It is a Local-owned system using Groundwater water sources with 616 service connections.
What type of violations does MARCUS WATER SUPPLY have?
MARCUS WATER SUPPLY has 54 total violations: 25 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 25 monitoring/reporting violations, and 0 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in MARCUS WATER SUPPLY water?
No PFAS testing data is available for MARCUS WATER SUPPLY under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does MARCUS WATER SUPPLY use?
MARCUS WATER SUPPLY uses Groundwater as its primary water source. It is classified as a Community Water System (CWS), serving residential populations year-round.
Where does this data come from?
All data comes from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and the UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program. SDWIS tracks compliance for all public water systems regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act.

Explore PlainWater

Data Sources: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), Q4 2025. This data is provided for informational purposes only.

Related

Data sourced from $official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by Kiznis Studio Editorial