West Des Moines, IA tap water
Supplied by West Des Moines Water Works. Here's what its 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)
1.2 ppm (Low)
Low, 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)
Supplier's figure259 ppm
Strong buffering. pH stays steady and hard to lower without RO water.
From the utility that supplies yours: Des Moines Water Works, which supplies West Des Moines Water Works (2012–2019).
pH
Not published yet
We haven't found this number yet. A drop test kit gives you your exact reading.
- West Des Moines Water Works adds phosphate to protect pipes. It can feed algae in tanks without much plant growth.
- West Des Moines Water Works softens its water at the plant, so it may be softer than the local groundwater.
Who supplies West Des Moines, IA
West Des Moines Water Works
Serves 96% of residents · Buys water from Des Moines Water Works · 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.