UI Drinking Water Quality
University of Iowa water meets all USEPA Safe Drinking Water Act and Iowa DNR regulations and testing requirements.
Learn about our water production and filtration process and a list a frequently asked questions below.
2023 Consumer Confidence Water Quality Report
See the 2023 Consumer Confidence Water Quality Report. All samples were taken per their schedule and met all requirements for clean drinking water.
Water Production and Filtration
A combination of methods ensures the UI campus water meets all EPA requirements and is safe to drink. The Water Plant uses 3,800 MMBtu of steam and 2,200,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity to purify and distribute 900 million gallons of water annually.
Equipment
In 2016, the university installed a carbon filtration system at the Water Plant.
UI Water Plant began operating a new Reverse Osmosis unit on June 1, 2021.
UI drinking water will then be a 50-50 blend of water from our traditional treatment processes and water filtered through the Reverse Osmosis unit. The process was installed with the primary goal of enhancing the plant’s ability to remove nitrates from the water supply.
FAQs
What is the latest information on the UI water testing and results?
University of Iowa water meets all USEPA Safe Drinking Water Act and Iowa DNR regulations and testing requirements. For additional information, please refer to the most recent Consumer Confidence Report.
If you have additional questions, please contact Ben Stracuzzi.
What technology or processes are being used?
- On March 28, 2016, a carbon filtration system was installed as an additional step in the water treatment process. Carbon filtration removes organic material from the water prior to chlorination, removing the constituents that produce THM. A similar carbon filtration method is used in the Iowa City Water Plant, where it was recently shown to also be effective in removing neonicotinoids, a popular farm pesticide, from drinking water.
- On June 1, 2021, the University of Iowa began using a reverse osmosis unit to filter water. UI drinking water is a 50-50 blend of water from our traditional treatment processes and water filtered through the RO unit.
Which buildings are served by the UI water system?
The UI Water Plant provides drinking water for most buildings on the main UI campus in Iowa City, including UIHC, the Hawkeye Campus, and the medical research campus. It does not provide water to the UI Research Park, University Capitol Center, or those served by City of Iowa City water system. such as UIHC Medical Center Downtown.
Do I need to filter my water?
No additional filtering or water supply is necessary.
What agency sets the guidelines for safe drinking water standards and how often is testing conducted?
The EPA establishes the Safe Drinking Water Standards and the Iowa DNR administers the Public Drinking Water Program in Iowa under delegation of authority from the EPA. Drinking water quality is monitored and tested daily at campus water treatment plants and distribution systems. Some tests are completed in the field while other tests are submitted to the State Hygienic Lab for analysis.
Does the UI Water System have a lead service line inventory?
Both the Main Campus "University Water System" and the Oakdale Campus "Oakdale Hospital Water System" have no lead service lines or galvanized lines requiring replacement. Staff reviewed historical construction documents for buildings and service line projects, as well as maps of record maintained by Facilities Management GIS. Additionally, staff visually inspected service lines to confirm the materials in use. The full lead service line inventories were submitted to the Iowa DNR on October 14, 2024, and are available upon request.
If you have additional questions, please contact Ben Stracuzzi.