Update your browser, this website may not display correctly.

Water Quality

Clean, refreshing water proudly delivered by MPW

Water = life.  It's common knowledge water, along with food and oxygen, is fundamental in keeping human-kind alive.  But why?  What’s the big deal?

Water Quality

Consumer Confidence Report

Water makes up a majority of our body weight and is essential in many important functions such as flushing waste from our bodies, regulating body temperature and brain function.  With water playing such an important role in keeping us healthy, it makes sense the quality of water we are consuming should be top-notch.

Originating from the Muscatine Island Aquifer, Muscatine’s water is of such high quality, the only treatments required are small additions of chlorine, assuring biological safety; fluoride, assisting in children’s dental development; and phosphate, stabilizing the minerals found in water.

Approximately 60 water quality tests are completed each day in MPW’s laboratories to ensure our water supply not just meets but exceeds state and federal regulations.  Drinking water is an easy choice for Muscatine area residents- keeping us healthy and hydrated!

2022 Water Quality Report for Muscatine

Lab tested, exceeding state and federal regulations

Inorganic Materials

Inorganic materials are naturally occurring elements in the water.

Barium

Barium in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing.

Some fluoride is naturally present in the source water. The amount is carefully monitored every day so optimum concentration is maintained. If you have concerns about fluoride, you should discuss this topic with your dentist and doctor.

Nitrate in drinking water at levels above 10 ppm is a health risk for infants less that 6 months of age. High nitrate levels in drinking water can cause blue baby syndrome. Nitrate levels may rise quickly for short periods of time because of rainfall or agriculture activity. If you are caring for an infant, you should ask advice from your healthcare provider.

Sodium is a natural by product from the breakdown of naturally occurring minerals.

Erosion of natural deposits

Inorganic Material Maximum Levels Detected
Barium
Max 2 ppm
0.08 ppm
per EPA guideline
Flouride
Max 4 ppm
0.87 ppm
per EPA guideline
Nitrate
Max 10 ppm
7.8 ppm
per EPA guideline
Sodium
Max NA
15 ppm
per EPA guideline
Radium
Max 5 ppm
2.1 ppm
per EPA guideline

Organic Materials

Organic contaminants are naturally occurring organic elements found in the water.

Trihalomethane

By-product of drinking water chlorination.

By-products of drinking water disinfection
Organic Materials Maximum Levels Detected
Trihalomethane
Max 80 ppb
29 ppb (LRAA)
per EPA guideline
Haloacetic Acids
Max 60 ppb
<6 ppb (LRAA)
per EPA guideline

Disinfectants

Disinfectants are the addition of chlorine by MPW to ensure there's no bacteria in our water.

Chlorine

Water additive used to control microbes.

Disinfectant Maximum Levels Detected
Chlorine
Max 4 ppm
1.79 ppm (RAA)
per EPA guideline

Copper and Lead

Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing.

Copper

 Caused by corrosion of household plumbing systems, and leaching from wood preservatives.

Created by corrosion of household plumbing systems.

Lead and Copper Maximum Levels Detected
Copper
Max 1.3 ppm
1.1 ppm
per EPA guideline
Lead
Max 15 ppb
9 ppb
per EPA guideline

Quality Report Definitions


Term Definition
Action Level The concentration of a contaminant that, if exceeded, triggers a treatment or other requirement that a water system must follow.
Inorganic Contaminant Such as salts and metals, which can occur naturally or come from urban stormwater runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining or farming.
LRAA Locational Running Annual Average.
Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) The highest level of a contaminant allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology.
Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG)  The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health.
Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL) The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.
Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal (MRDLG)
The level of a drinking water disinfectant below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contaminants.
Microbiological Contaminants  Very small organisms, such as bacteria, algae, plankton, and fungi.
N/A Not applicable.
ND Not detected at testing limit.
NTU Nephelometric Turbidity Units.
Organic Contaminants Naturally occurring or synthetic substances containing mainly carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen. This includes most pesticides and industrial chemicals.
pCi/l Pico curies per liter.
mg/l (ppm) Parts of contaminant per million parts of water. One part per million (ppm) is equivalent to a single penny in ten thousand dollars. "PPM" may also be referred to as mg/l or milligrams per liter.
µg/l ( ppb) Parts of contaminant per billion parts of water. One part per billion (ppb) is equivalent to a single penny in ten million dollars. "PPB" may also be referred to as mg/l or micrograms per liter.
ng/l (ppt) Parts of contaminant per trillion parts of water. One part per trillion (ppm) is equivalent to a single penny in ten billion dollars. "PPT" may also be referred to as ng/l or nanograms per liter.
RAA Running Annual Average.
TOC Total organic carbon in untreated water.
Treatment Technique (TT) A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.
Chlorine Disinfectant The most common drinking water treatment is disinfection. Disinfection is considered to be the primary mechanism to kill bacteria and other germs to prevent the spread of waterborne diseases. Chlorine is the most widely used disinfectant. Disinfectants combine with organic and inorganic matter present in water to form chemicals called disinfection byproducts. EPA sets standards for controlling the levels of disinfectants and disinfectant byproducts in drinking water. The chart above reflects these standards and the Utility's ability to meet those standards.
Fluoride Some fluoride is naturally present in the source water. The amount is carefully monitored every day so optimum concentration is maintained. If you have concerns about fluoride, you should discuss this topic with your dentist and doctor.
Nitrate Nitrate in drinking water at levels above 10 ppm is a health risk for infants less that 6 months of age. High nitrate levels in drinking water can cause blue baby syndrome. Nitrate levels may rise quickly for short periods of time because of rainfall or agriculture activity. If you are caring for an infant, you should ask advice from your healthcare provider.
Lead If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. Muscatine Power and Water is responsible for providing high-quality drinking water, but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking. If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at http://water.epa.gov/drink/info/lead.
TTHMs (Total Trihalomethanes) Some people who drink water containing trihalomethanes in excess of the MCL over many years may experience problems with their liver, kidneys, or central nervous system and may have an increased risk of getting cancer.
Turbidity An indicator of treatment filter performance and is regulated as a treatment technique.
Unregulated Contaminants The US Environmental Protection Agency has developed an unregulated contaminant monitoring program to better understand the existence of contaminants in the environment. These contaminants are not regulated
by the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations, but are known or anticipated to occur at public water systems throughout the nation and may warrant regulation under the safe Drinking Water act. In 2014, MP&W was required to test for 30 unregulated contaminants.

The EPA requires monitoring of over 80 drinking water contaminants. Those listed above are the only contaminants detected in your drinking water. For a complete list, contact Muscatine Power and Water at (563) 262-3360.

Unregulated Contaminants

The US Environmental Protection Agency has developed an unregulated contaminant monitoring program to better understand the existence of contaminants in the environment.


These contaminants are not regulated by the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations, but are known or anticipated to occur at public water systems throughout the nation and may warrant regulation under the safe Drinking Water act. In 2019, MPW was required to test for 28 unregulated contaminants. The detectable contaminants are listed below.

Analyte Unit Average Range
Chloroacetic acid ug <2.0 <2.0
Bromoacetic acid ug <0.3 <0.30
Dichloacetic acid ug 1.95 1.4-2.6
Trichloroacetic acid ug 1.26 0.91-1.6
Bromochloroacetic acid ug 1.14 0.94-1.5
Dibromoacetic acid ug 0.6 0.5-0.76
Bromodichloroaceti acid ug 1.23 1.0-1.5
Chlordibromoaceti acid ug 0.74 0.62-0.86
Tribomoacetic acid ug <2.0 <2.0
Bromide ug 77.83 23-216
Total Organic Carbon ug 1.27 <1-1.7
Manganese ug 111.85 50-200
Germanium ug <0.30 <0.30
alpha-Hexachlorocyclohexane ug <0.010 <0.010
Chlorpyrios ug <0.03 <0.03
Dimenthipin ug <0.2 <0.2
Ethoprop ug <0.03 <0.03
Oxyflourfen ug <0.05 <0.05
Profenofos ug <0.3 <0.3
Tebuconazole ug <0.02 <0.02
Total Permethrins ug <0.04 <0.04
Tribufos ug <0.07 <0.07
o-Toluidine ug <0.007 <0.007
Quinoline ug <0.02 <0.02
Butylated ug <0.03 <0.03
2-Propen-1-ol ug <0.50 <0.5
1-Butanol ug <2.0 <2.0
2-Methoxyethanol ug <0.4 <0.4
PFAS (more info here, updated Q4 2023)
-Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)
-Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS)
ng/l
ng/l
4.2
4.3
2.7-5
3.1-6

The EPA requires monitoring of over 80 drinking water contaminants. Those listed above are the only contaminants detected in your drinking water. For a complete list, contact Muscatine Power and Water at (563) 262-3360. In 2022, the IDNR began testing water systems for PFOA and PFOS (collectively PFAS). Some MPW facilities exceeded an EPA drinking water lifetime interim health advisory level (PFOA 0.004 ppt and PFOS 0.02ppt) for the PFAS compounds shown above. Public notice was provided for the exceedance.  Additional information about the history of PFAS compounds, their prohibition from continued use, and ongoing testing results of the MPW water system can be found here (mpw.org/pfas).