Ames, IA tap water
Supplied mostly by Ames Water Treatment Plant, plus 1 other utility. Here's what the water means for your fish.
Disinfectant
Chloramine
Your water is treated with chloramine. Unlike chlorine, it doesn't gas off when water sits out, and many pitcher and fridge filters aren't rated to remove it. Conditioners that list chloramine on the label break it apart, which frees a little ammonia. Some utilities switch to plain chlorine for a few weeks a year.
Safety for fish and shrimp
Nitrite (NO₂)
0.12 ppm (Worth knowing)
Some nitrite shows up in this tap water, which can happen in chloramine systems, and it goes into the tank with each water change.
From EPA monitoring data (2018–2019).
Nitrate (NO₃)
Not detected (Low)
Not detected in testing, so water changes lower your tank's nitrate well.
From EPA monitoring data; Ames Water Treatment Plant, which supplies Isu (2018–2019).
Water chemistry
General hardness
Not published yet
We haven't found this number yet. A drop test kit gives you your exact reading.
Carbonate hardness (alkalinity)
Not published yet
We haven't found this number yet. A drop test kit gives you your exact reading.
pH
Not published yet
We haven't found this number yet. A drop test kit gives you your exact reading.
- Ames Water Treatment Plant and Isu soften their water at the plant, so it may be softer than the local groundwater.
Who supplies Ames, IA
Ames Water Treatment Plant
Serves 78% of residents · Groundwater (wells) · Chloramine
Isu
Serves 10% of residents · Buys water from Ames Water Treatment Plant · Chloramine
Our data comes from public records and is still incomplete. Many utilities don't publish every number, so we're adding more all the time. Your city's range is a starting point: testing your own tap is the only way to know exactly what's in it.
Tap water lookup covers US cities only for now. Want to know why it matters? Read our story on tap water.
Compiled by Shoal & Stem from public records. Free to cite with a link.