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Community Water System · PWS IA7778039

Sheldahl Water Supply

Sheldahl, Iowa 50243 - drinking water served from groundwater sources to 307 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

307
People served
158
EPA violations
25
Health-based
Untested
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 158 drinking-water violations at Sheldahl Water Supply, 16% of them health-based - above the Iowa per-system average.

158
Total EPA violations on record
16%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
307
People served by this system
N/A
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Sheldahl Water Supply

Sheldahl Water Supply is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 307 residents in Sheldahl, Iowa (Polk County) through 159 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 158 total violations for this system , of which 25 (16%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 111 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2023.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Nitrite, recorded in 20 violations (MR). 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%).

Sheldahl Water Supply's 158 violations sit above 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.

Population Served
307
Total Violations
158
Health-Based Violations
25
Water Source
Groundwater

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
159
County
Polk
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
25
Monitoring Violations
111
Treatment Tech Violations
0

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Nitrite MR 20 2023
Nitrite MCL 19 2016
Arsenic MR 12 2001
Coliform (TCR) MR 11 1998
Cadmium MR 8 1986
Chromium MR 8 1986
Fluoride MR 8 1986
Selenium MR 8 1986
Barium MR 8 1986
Nitrate MR 7 2011
Coliform (TCR) MCL 6 1999
Lead and Copper Rule MR 6 1989
Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon and U MR 5 1983
TTHM MR 4 2013
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 4 2013
Consumer Confidence Rule Other 3 1999
Mercury MR 2 1986

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 Sheldahl 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 IA7778039 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
2023 Nitrite MR 20 SDWIS / IA7778039 / 1041
2016 Nitrite MCL 19 SDWIS / IA7778039 / 1041
2013 TTHM MR 4 SDWIS / IA7778039 / 2950
2013 Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 4 SDWIS / IA7778039 / 2456
2011 Nitrate MR 7 SDWIS / IA7778039 / 1040
2001 Arsenic MR 12 SDWIS / IA7778039 / 1005
1999 Coliform (TCR) MCL 6 SDWIS / IA7778039 / 3100
1999 Consumer Confidence Rule Other 3 SDWIS / IA7778039 / 7000
1998 Coliform (TCR) MR 11 SDWIS / IA7778039 / 3100
1989 Lead and Copper Rule MR 6 SDWIS / IA7778039 / 5000
1986 Cadmium MR 8 SDWIS / IA7778039 / 1015
1986 Chromium MR 8 SDWIS / IA7778039 / 1020
1986 Fluoride MR 8 SDWIS / IA7778039 / 1025
1986 Selenium MR 8 SDWIS / IA7778039 / 1045
1986 Barium MR 8 SDWIS / IA7778039 / 1010

How Sheldahl Water Supply Compares

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

Metric Sheldahl Water Supply Iowa avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 158 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 307 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 Sheldahl Water Supply water safe to drink? ▼
Sheldahl Water Supply (PWS ID: IA7778039) has 158 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 307 people using Groundwater sources.
How many people does Sheldahl Water Supply serve? ▼
Sheldahl Water Supply serves 307 people in Sheldahl, Iowa. It is a Local-owned system using Groundwater water sources with 159 service connections.
What type of violations does Sheldahl Water Supply have? ▼
Sheldahl Water Supply has 158 total violations: 25 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 111 monitoring/reporting violations, and 0 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Sheldahl Water Supply water? ▼
No PFAS testing data is available for Sheldahl Water Supply under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does Sheldahl Water Supply use? ▼
Sheldahl 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.
Data Sources: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), Q4 2025. This data is provided for informational purposes only.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Data sourced from EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 PFAS monitoring data. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainWater Editorial

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.