Carter Lake, IA tap water
Supplied mostly by Carter Lake Water District, 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
Nitrate (NO₃)
Supplier's figure2.3–14 ppm (Worth knowing)
Typical 14 ppm
Water changes can't take your tank's nitrate below this level.
From the utility that supplies yours: Metropolitan Utilities District, which supplies Carter Lake Water District; Metropolitan Utilities District, which supplies Lakeside Estates LLC (2025).
Water chemistry
General hardness
Supplier's figure137–223 ppm
Typical 154 ppm
Moderately hard. Great for livebearers, and most community fish adapt.
From the utility that supplies yours: Metropolitan Utilities District, which supplies Carter Lake Water District; Metropolitan Utilities District, which supplies Lakeside Estates LLC (2025).
Carbonate hardness (alkalinity)
Supplier's figure59–227 ppm
Typical 143 ppm
Strong buffering. pH stays steady and hard to lower without RO water.
From the utility that supplies yours: Metropolitan Utilities District, which supplies Carter Lake Water District; Metropolitan Utilities District, which supplies Lakeside Estates LLC (2025).
pH
Supplier's figure8.8–9.2
Typical 9
Alkaline. Many utilities raise pH to protect pipes. Stability matters more than the exact number.
From the utility that supplies yours: Metropolitan Utilities District, which supplies Carter Lake Water District; Metropolitan Utilities District, which supplies Lakeside Estates LLC (2025).
Total dissolved solids
Supplier's figure112–515 ppm
Typical 112 ppm
A rough measure of everything dissolved in the water. RO water reads near 0, so TDS is a quick way to compare waters.
From the utility that supplies yours: Metropolitan Utilities District, which supplies Carter Lake Water District; Metropolitan Utilities District, which supplies Lakeside Estates LLC (2025).
- Carter Lake Water District and Lakeside Estates LLC soften their water at the plant, so it may be softer than the local groundwater.
Who supplies Carter Lake, IA
Carter Lake Water District
Serves 94% of residents · Buys water from Metropolitan Utilities District · Chloramine
Lakeside Estates LLC
Serves 7% of residents · Buys water from Carter Lake Water District · 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.
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Compiled by Shoal & Stem from public records. Free to cite with a link.