Shoal & Stem

Fairfax, IA tap water

Supplied mostly by Fairfax Water Supply, plus 1 other utility. Here's what the water means for your fish.

Disinfectant

Chlorine or chloramine

Utilities here use chlorine or chloramine, depending on which one serves your address. Chlorine slowly gases off from standing water; chloramine doesn't.

Safety for fish and shrimp

Nitrite (NO₂)

Not detected (Low)

Not detected in testing, so any nitrite in your tank comes from the tank itself.

From EPA monitoring data (2012–2019).

Nitrate (NO₃)

Up to 18 ppm (Low)

Typically not detected

Not detected in testing, so water changes lower your tank's nitrate well.

From EPA monitoring data (2012–2019).

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)

368 ppm

Strong buffering. pH stays steady and hard to lower without RO water.

From EPA monitoring data (2013–2014).

pH

Not published yet

We haven't found this number yet. A drop test kit gives you your exact reading.

  • Cedar Rapids Water Department adds phosphate to protect pipes. It can feed algae in tanks without much plant growth.

Who supplies Fairfax, IA

  • Fairfax Water Supply

    Serves 69% of residents · Groundwater (wells) · Chlorine

  • Cedar Rapids Water Department

    Serves 15% of residents · Groundwater fed by surface water · 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.

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