Perry runs two lime-softening plants, fed by 13 active wells, and the federal record for the system shows zero violations of any kind. What the record does not show is a hardness number. The state database has no hardness result for Perry at all, so the only way to know how hard your water is, is to test it at your own tap.
| Perry at a glance | What the record shows |
|---|---|
| Who supplies the water | Perry Municipal Water Works, PWSID IA2561036, 7,836 people served (EPA SDWIS); 2024 Census city estimate 8,046 |
| Where it comes from | 13 active wells: 11 buried sand-and-gravel wells 119 to 147 feet deep, plus two alluvial wells at 42 and 45.75 feet (Iowa DNR Source Water Tracker) |
| Softened at the plant | Yes, at two plants. EPA SDWIS lists lime softening, lime treatment, recarbonation with carbon dioxide, coagulation and forced-draft aeration at both Treatment Plant #1 and Treatment Plant #2 |
| Published hardness | None. The Iowa DNR Drinking Water Portal returns no hardness result for Perry, and the city does not publish a finished figure |
Perry treats its water at two plants, and EPA SDWIS lists the same steps at both: forced-draft aeration, lime softening, lime treatment, recarbonation with carbon dioxide, and coagulation. Grimes also runs two plants, but Central Iowa Water Works says Grimes pairs lime softening with reverse osmosis. Perry uses lime at both.
Here is what those steps do, in plain words. Aeration mixes air into the water. Lime softening adds lime so that the calcium and magnesium that make water hard settle out. Recarbonation adds carbon dioxide afterward to bring the pH back down. Coagulation helps tiny particles clump together so they can be removed.
The wells are a mix of ages and depths. According to the Iowa DNR Source Water Tracker, 11 of the 13 active wells are buried sand-and-gravel wells between 119 and 147 feet deep, and two are shallow alluvial wells at 42 and 45.75 feet. The active wells were drilled between 1965 and 1991. That is a big well field for a city of about 8,000 people.
As of 10 September 2026, EPA SDWIS lists no violations of any kind for Perry Municipal Water Works. That means no health-based violations, and no monitoring or reporting violations either. It is worth saying plainly, because not every water system in central Iowa can say the same.
Two readings from the Iowa DNR Drinking Water Portal add to the picture. Sodium in Perry's finished water measured 30 mg/L on 7 April 2025; sodium has no federal limit. The highest finished-water nitrate reading since 2021 is 0.68 mg/L as nitrogen, well under the 10 mg/L federal limit.
Hardness is the one thing missing. A search of the state portal for Perry returns no hardness result, and the city does not publish a finished figure either. Lime softening lowers hardness, but it does not take all of it out, so some hardness is still in the water that reaches your home. How much is the question.
To give you a reference point, Ames also softens its well water with lime, and it reported a monthly average of 8.94 grains per gallon in its finished water in August 2026. Perry's number could be higher or lower than that. Two plants and 13 wells mean there is no reason to assume the two cities match, and we won't use another city's figure and call it yours.
Because Perry already softens at the plant, the right system for your house depends on what is left at your tap. Our free in-home test checks three things at your kitchen sink: hardness, iron and TDS, which stands for total dissolved solids. We write the numbers down and leave them with you.
If your hardness is on the low side, a softener is mostly about comfort: fewer spots on dishes and glass, softer towels and less scale building up in the water heater over time. If it is higher, a softener also helps protect your appliances. If better drinking water is the main goal, start with a reverse osmosis system at the kitchen tap. Our guide to limescale and appliances explains what hard water does over the years.
Prices are all-in: equipment, installation, taxes and a lifetime parts warranty.
Yearly service is $199 for a home with a tank RO and $249 for a home with a tankless RO. A diagnostic call is $199. If we already know the problem, the trip is $99 plus the part. We offer 0% financing and $100 off for military and first responders. The first 50 miles of travel are free, then it is $1 a mile, and we tell you that cost before we book. You can request a written quote or try our instant quote.
Homes outside town on private wells have no lime plant between the ground and the faucet. Private-well tests from Dallas County reported to Iowa DNR's tracking system from 2016 to 2020 show what can turn up: 15 of 138 nitrate tests came back at or above 10 mg/L, and 142 of 239 tests found total coliform. These are tests that owners asked for, not a survey of every well, and total coliform is an indicator rather than a measure of E. coli.
For a well, our dual-tank well system is $3,450, or $3,800 with tank RO. We only put tank RO on a well, because high dissolved solids make a tankless unit lose pressure. A UV unit ($700) and a sediment pre-filter ($500) are priced after we see your results. For lab testing, start with our guide to free well water testing in Iowa.
Kind Water Co is licensed and insured. Our softeners use NSF/ANSI 44 certified components, and our reverse osmosis systems are certified to NSF/ANSI 58. Every install is done by licensed local plumbing professionals we vet, schedule, and stand behind. Our prices are published and the same for everyone, and we explain your results in plain language, with no pressure.
Perry's plants have a clean record, but nobody publishes the hardness that reaches your faucet. Our free in-home test gives you that number, along with iron and TDS, and a written quote you can keep, whatever you decide. Book your free in-home water test or ask for a written quote.
No hardness figure is published. The Iowa DNR Drinking Water Portal returns no hardness result for Perry Municipal Water Works, and the city does not publish a finished number. Perry lime-softens at two plants, so the water is softer than untreated groundwater, but only a test at your own tap gives you your number.
Yes. EPA SDWIS lists lime softening, lime treatment, recarbonation with carbon dioxide, coagulation and forced-draft aeration at both of Perry’s treatment plants, Treatment Plant #1 and Treatment Plant #2, for PWSID IA2561036.
From 13 active wells, according to the Iowa DNR Source Water Tracker: 11 buried sand-and-gravel wells 119 to 147 feet deep, and two alluvial wells at 42 and 45.75 feet. The active wells were drilled between 1965 and 1991.
No. As of 10 September 2026, EPA SDWIS lists no violations of any kind for Perry Municipal Water Works. The highest finished-water nitrate reading since 2021 is 0.68 mg/L as nitrogen, against a 10 mg/L federal limit, and sodium measured 30 mg/L on 7 April 2025.
A Kind Water Co softener with whole-home filtration is $2,500 all-in, or $2,850 with reverse osmosis, covering equipment, installation, taxes and a lifetime parts warranty. Reverse osmosis alone is $800 with a tank or $900 tankless. The first 50 miles of travel are free, then $1 a mile, quoted before we book. Financing is 0%, with $100 off for military and first responders.
Every number on this page comes from a public record. Here is where to open each one yourself.
Whole-home water softening, filtration, and reverse-osmosis drinking water — professionally installed and built to last a lifetime.
Serving Marion, Cedar Rapids & surrounding Linn County communities
Kind Water Co is a d/b/a of Zero Cap Investments LLC · 2258 Bison St, Apt B, Marion, IA 52302
.webp)
