PlainWater
States → Iowa

FOREST CITY WATER SUPPLY

PWS ID: IA9525047 · FOREST CITY, Iowa 50436

FOREST CITY WATER SUPPLY serves 4,285 people in FOREST CITY, Iowa using Groundwater water sources. It has 25 recorded EPA violations, including 13 health-based violations. PFAS "forever chemicals" were detected in UCMR5 testing (1 compound found).

Water Quality Snapshot: FOREST CITY WATER SUPPLY

FOREST CITY WATER SUPPLY is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 4,285 residents in FOREST CITY, Iowa (Winnebago County) through 1,590 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 25 total violations for this system , of which 13 (52%) are health-based — meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 5 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 1992.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Combined Radium (-226 and -228), recorded in 13 violations (MCL, health-based). Under EPA's UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program, 1 PFAS compound was detected in samples collected from this system, with a maximum reported concentration of 16 ppt. PFAS are persistent synthetic chemicals linked to health effects at very low exposure levels.

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. FOREST CITY WATER SUPPLY's 25 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.

PFAS Detected

1 PFAS "forever chemicals" detected in testing under EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.

Population Served
4,285
Total Violations
25
Health-Based Violations
13
Water Source
Groundwater

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
1,590
County
Winnebago
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
13
Monitoring Violations
5
Treatment Tech Violations
0

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Combined Radium (-226 and -228) MCL 13 1986
Lead and Copper Rule MR 5 1992

PFAS Testing Results (UCMR5)

Results from EPA's Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule. 1 of 60 samples detected PFAS.

Contaminant Date Result MRL Status
8:2 FTS 4/15/2025 <0.005 µg/L 0.005 µg/L Not Detected
NFDHA 4/15/2025 <0.02 µg/L 0.02 µg/L Not Detected
PFHxS 4/15/2025 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
PFBS 4/15/2025 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
PFHpS 4/15/2025 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
PFPeS 4/15/2025 <0.004 µg/L 0.004 µg/L Not Detected
PFHpA 4/15/2025 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
PFEESA 4/15/2025 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
PFMBA 4/15/2025 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
lithium 4/15/2025 <9 µg/L 9 µg/L Not Detected
PFMPA 4/15/2025 <0.004 µg/L 0.004 µg/L Not Detected
4:2 FTS 4/15/2025 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
6:2 FTS 4/15/2025 <0.005 µg/L 0.005 µg/L Not Detected
PFNA 4/15/2025 <0.004 µg/L 0.004 µg/L Not Detected
PFHxA 4/15/2025 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
PFPeA 4/15/2025 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
PFDA 4/15/2025 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
PFOS 4/15/2025 <0.004 µg/L 0.004 µg/L Not Detected
NMeFOSAA 4/15/2025 <0.006 µg/L 0.006 µg/L Not Detected
NEtFOSAA 4/15/2025 <0.005 µg/L 0.005 µg/L Not Detected
PFTrDA 4/15/2025 <0.007 µg/L 0.007 µg/L Not Detected
PFTA 4/15/2025 <0.008 µg/L 0.008 µg/L Not Detected
PFBA 4/15/2025 <0.005 µg/L 0.005 µg/L Not Detected
ADONA 4/15/2025 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
9Cl-PF3ONS 4/15/2025 <0.002 µg/L 0.002 µg/L Not Detected
11Cl-PF3OUdS 4/15/2025 <0.005 µg/L 0.005 µg/L Not Detected
PFUnA 4/15/2025 <0.002 µg/L 0.002 µg/L Not Detected
PFDoA 4/15/2025 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
PFOA 4/15/2025 <0.004 µg/L 0.004 µg/L Not Detected
HFPO-DA 4/15/2025 <0.005 µg/L 0.005 µg/L Not Detected
NEtFOSAA 10/14/2025 <0.005 µg/L 0.005 µg/L Not Detected
NFDHA 10/14/2025 <0.02 µg/L 0.02 µg/L Not Detected
PFEESA 10/14/2025 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
PFMBA 10/14/2025 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
PFPeA 10/14/2025 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
PFMPA 10/14/2025 <0.004 µg/L 0.004 µg/L Not Detected
8:2 FTS 10/14/2025 <0.005 µg/L 0.005 µg/L Not Detected
4:2 FTS 10/14/2025 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
PFBA 10/14/2025 <0.005 µg/L 0.005 µg/L Not Detected
PFTA 10/14/2025 <0.008 µg/L 0.008 µg/L Not Detected
NMeFOSAA 10/14/2025 <0.006 µg/L 0.006 µg/L Not Detected
PFTrDA 10/14/2025 <0.007 µg/L 0.007 µg/L Not Detected
PFPeS 10/14/2025 <0.004 µg/L 0.004 µg/L Not Detected
9Cl-PF3ONS 10/14/2025 <0.002 µg/L 0.002 µg/L Not Detected
HFPO-DA 10/14/2025 <0.005 µg/L 0.005 µg/L Not Detected
PFDoA 10/14/2025 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
lithium 10/14/2025 16.0000 µg/L 9 µg/L Detected
PFHxA 10/14/2025 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected
PFUnA 10/14/2025 <0.002 µg/L 0.002 µg/L Not Detected
PFHpS 10/14/2025 <0.003 µg/L 0.003 µg/L Not Detected

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 FOREST CITY 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 IA9525047 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
1992 Lead and Copper Rule MR 5 SDWIS / IA9525047 / 5000
1986 Combined Radium (-226 and -228) MCL 13 SDWIS / IA9525047 / 4010

How FOREST CITY WATER SUPPLY Compares

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

Metric FOREST CITY WATER SUPPLY Iowa avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 25 77 SDWA compliance — any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 13 15.6 Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL
PFAS detection 1 compound 83.6% EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt
Population served 4,285 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 FOREST CITY WATER SUPPLY water safe to drink? ▼
FOREST CITY WATER SUPPLY (PWS ID: IA9525047) has 25 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. PFAS contamination has been detected in UCMR5 testing, with 1 PFAS compound found. This system serves 4,285 people using Groundwater sources.
How many people does FOREST CITY WATER SUPPLY serve? ▼
FOREST CITY WATER SUPPLY serves 4,285 people in FOREST CITY, Iowa. It is a Local-owned system using Groundwater water sources with 1,590 service connections.
What type of violations does FOREST CITY WATER SUPPLY have? ▼
FOREST CITY WATER SUPPLY has 25 total violations: 13 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 5 monitoring/reporting violations, and 0 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in FOREST CITY WATER SUPPLY water? ▼
Yes. UCMR5 testing detected 1 PFAS compound in FOREST CITY WATER SUPPLY's water supply: lithium. PFAS are persistent "forever chemicals" that do not break down in the environment.
What water source does FOREST CITY WATER SUPPLY use? ▼
FOREST CITY 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

Water in Iowa

All systems in state
All States

Water quality by state
Contaminants

PFAS & other pollutants
Guides

Understanding water quality

Related Data for Iowa

Environmental Data → Natural Hazards → Air Quality → Healthcare Access → Climate Data →
Data Sources: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), Q4 2025. PFAS data from EPA UCMR5 monitoring program (2023-2025). This data is provided for informational purposes only.

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

Related

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