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DEFIANCE WATER DEPARTMENT

PWS ID: IA8315018 · DEFIANCE, Iowa 51527

DEFIANCE WATER DEPARTMENT serves 250 people in DEFIANCE, Iowa using Groundwater water sources. It has 205 recorded EPA violations, including 0 health-based violations. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing.

Water Quality Snapshot: DEFIANCE WATER DEPARTMENT

DEFIANCE WATER DEPARTMENT is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 250 residents in DEFIANCE, Iowa (Shelby County) through 145 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 205 total violations for this system , of which 0 (0%) are health-based — meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 176 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2024.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Coliform (TCR), recorded in 18 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. DEFIANCE WATER DEPARTMENT's 205 violations sit above 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
250
Total Violations
205
Health-Based Violations
0
Water Source
Groundwater

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
145
County
Shelby
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
0
Monitoring Violations
176
Treatment Tech Violations
0

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Coliform (TCR) MR 18 2013
Di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate MR 8 2008
Revised Total Coliform Rule MON 8 2024
Consumer Confidence Rule Other 8 2022
Atrazine MR 4 2001
2,4-D MR 4 2001
2,4,5-TP MR 4 2001
Pentachlorophenol MR 4 2001
Dalapon MR 4 2001
Simazine MR 4 2001
Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate MR 4 2001
Dinoseb MR 4 2001
cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 4 2001
DICHLOROMETHANE MR 4 2001
p-Dichlorobenzene MR 4 2001
Vinyl chloride MR 4 2001
trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 4 2001
1,2-Dichloroethane MR 4 2001
1,1,1-Trichloroethane MR 4 2001
Carbon tetrachloride MR 4 2001
1,2-Dichloropropane MR 4 2001
Trichloroethylene MR 4 2001
Tetrachloroethylene MR 4 2001
CHLOROBENZENE MR 4 2001
Benzene MR 4 2001
Toluene MR 4 2001
Ethylbenzene MR 4 2001
TTHM MR 4 2013
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 4 2013
1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene MR 4 2001

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 DEFIANCE WATER DEPARTMENT.

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 IA8315018 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
2024 Revised Total Coliform Rule MON 8 SDWIS / IA8315018 / 8000
2023 Lead and Copper Rule MR 2 SDWIS / IA8315018 / 5000
2022 Consumer Confidence Rule Other 8 SDWIS / IA8315018 / 7000
2013 Coliform (TCR) MR 18 SDWIS / IA8315018 / 3100
2013 TTHM MR 4 SDWIS / IA8315018 / 2950
2013 Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 4 SDWIS / IA8315018 / 2456
2009 Chlorine MR 4 SDWIS / IA8315018 / 0999
2008 Di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate MR 8 SDWIS / IA8315018 / 2035
2001 Atrazine MR 4 SDWIS / IA8315018 / 2050
2001 2,4-D MR 4 SDWIS / IA8315018 / 2105
2001 2,4,5-TP MR 4 SDWIS / IA8315018 / 2110
2001 Pentachlorophenol MR 4 SDWIS / IA8315018 / 2326
2001 Dalapon MR 4 SDWIS / IA8315018 / 2031
2001 Simazine MR 4 SDWIS / IA8315018 / 2037
2001 Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate MR 4 SDWIS / IA8315018 / 2039

How DEFIANCE WATER DEPARTMENT Compares

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

Metric DEFIANCE WATER DEPARTMENT Iowa avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 205 77 SDWA compliance — any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 0 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 250 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 DEFIANCE WATER DEPARTMENT water safe to drink? ▼
DEFIANCE WATER DEPARTMENT (PWS ID: IA8315018) has 205 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 250 people using Groundwater sources.
How many people does DEFIANCE WATER DEPARTMENT serve? ▼
DEFIANCE WATER DEPARTMENT serves 250 people in DEFIANCE, Iowa. It is a Local-owned system using Groundwater water sources with 145 service connections.
What type of violations does DEFIANCE WATER DEPARTMENT have? ▼
DEFIANCE WATER DEPARTMENT has 205 total violations: 0 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 176 monitoring/reporting violations, and 0 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in DEFIANCE WATER DEPARTMENT water? ▼
No PFAS testing data is available for DEFIANCE WATER DEPARTMENT under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does DEFIANCE WATER DEPARTMENT use? ▼
DEFIANCE WATER DEPARTMENT 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.

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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.

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