Personnel at the Jefferson Water Treatment Plant perform daily testing in our laboratory to make sure water quality is within acceptable limits. The EPA and DNR have set Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) limits for the chemicals added to the water such as Fluoride, Chlorine, and Polyphosphate.

Water is collected from the distribution system and tested in our laboratory. Required samples are sent to certified laboratories for results. Water plant personnel may come to your house and collect a water sample at your faucet or at one of your outside hose bibs. These samples are tested for the required items such as Coliform, E-coli bacteria, Sodium Nitrate, Lead, Copper, and others.

The test results are stored as records at the water plant, the testing labs, and Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources. Whenever a particular item is over the MCL limit, it is reported by the laboratory to the State or Federal regulatory agencies. It will also appear in the Consumer Confidence Report (CCR). The CCR is published each June in the Jefferson Herald newspaper and is available at City Hall.