Washington, IA tap water
Supplied by Washington Water Department. Here's what its water means for your fish.
Disinfectant
Chlorine
Your water is treated with chlorine. It slowly gases off from standing water, and any water conditioner removes it.
Safety for fish and shrimp
Nitrate (NO₃)
Not detected (Low)
Not detected in testing, so water changes lower your tank's nitrate well.
From EPA monitoring data (2012–2019).
Water chemistry
General hardness
Area estimate161–810 ppm
Typical 315 ppm
Hard. Ideal for livebearers and African cichlids. Soft-water species may struggle to breed.
Area estimate from nearby wells: USGS well samples in your county (2000–2017).
Carbonate hardness (alkalinity)
Area estimate67–390 ppm
Typical 259 ppm
Strong buffering. pH stays steady and hard to lower without RO water.
Area estimate from nearby wells: USGS well samples in your county (2000–2017).
pH
Area estimate6.2–8
Typical 7.4
Most community fish do well here. Stable water matters more than the exact number.
Area estimate from nearby wells: USGS well samples in your county (2000–2017).
Total dissolved solids
Area estimate200–1300 ppm
Typical 358 ppm
A rough measure of everything dissolved in the water. RO water reads near 0, so TDS is a quick way to compare waters.
Area estimate from nearby wells: USGS well samples in your county (2000–2017).
- Washington Water Department adds phosphate to protect pipes. It can feed algae in tanks without much plant growth.
Who supplies Washington, IA
Washington Water Department
Serves all residents · Groundwater (wells) · Chlorine
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.