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Sheldahl sits in three counties at once: Polk, Story and Boone. The city pumps its own water from two deep wells, filters out iron at a small plant and stores it in a 50,000-gallon tower. The plant does not soften. Here is what the state and federal records show, with dates.
| Sheldahl at a glance | What the record shows |
|---|---|
| Utility | Sheldahl Water Supply, EPA ID IA7778039. |
| Source | Well #1 (drilled 1951, 310 feet) and Well #2 (drilled 1988, 314 feet), both in buried sand and gravel. |
| Plant treatment | Aeration, detention, polyphosphate, two pressure sand filters for iron, and chlorine (Iowa DNR 2019 inspection). No softening. |
| Hardness on file | None. Dissolved solids measured 810 to 864 mg/L in 1983 to 1986 samples. |
| Served | 307 people through 159 connections (EPA); 312 residents across three counties (Census 2024 estimate). |
Sheldahl’s water comes from two wells about 310 feet down. Well #1, drilled in 1951, sits right inside the treatment plant. Well #2, drilled in 1988, is about 300 feet northwest of it.
A 2019 state inspection lists the plant’s steps. Fans pull air through the water to oxidize iron and release hydrogen sulfide, the gas behind a rotten-egg smell. There is a detention tank, a polyphosphate feed, two pressure sand filters for iron and chlorine for disinfection. Storage is a 50,000-gallon elevated tank north of the plant.
It is a small system. In the year the state reviewed, June 2018 to May 2019, the town used about 25,000 gallons on an average day, and the biggest day reached 111,000 gallons. None of the plant’s steps is softening, and the state has no hardness test on file for Sheldahl. The dissolved-solids results it does have, from the 1980s, ran above 800 mg/L. So we treat hardness as unknown until we test, and we test before we size anything.
Rural homes around Sheldahl use private wells. Iowa’s well database lists 140 household wells in the 36-square-mile township (T82N R24W) that includes the center of town. Sheldahl sits in its southwest corner, so most of those wells are north and east of town. The middle depth is 200 feet, and only 4 are shallower than 50 feet.
Nitrate results there have been low. The state has 153 private-well nitrate tests from 88 wells, from 1996 to August 2026. The highest was 6.3 mg/L, and none reached the 10 mg/L standard. Your own well can still be different, so a yearly test is worth it.
Free testing depends on your county. The state’s Private Well Grants program pays for yearly bacteria and nitrate checks, with arsenic and manganese on a three-year cycle, through the county health office. In Sheldahl that may be Polk, Story or Boone County, so check your property tax statement for the right one. Kind Water Co’s Whole-Home Nitrate Removal is available for wells here as well: we test for nitrate and arsenic first, pick the system from the lab results, and retest after installation.
City water in Sheldahl has its iron and sulfur smell handled at the plant, but the state has no record of how hard it is. Our first visit answers that. Once we have your number, we size a softener for your family and your bathrooms, and we keep the plant’s chlorine in mind if you want a carbon stage or a kitchen RO.
The plant’s aeration and sand filters target iron and the sulfur smell, which is a different job from softening. With no hardness result on file, the reading from your own faucet is what sets softener capacity and regeneration.
A water softener reduces calcium and magnesium for less scale, fewer shower deposits and less soap film. In Sheldahl, we size the system from measured hardness, daily water use and simultaneous fixture demand, then program regeneration for the selected capacity. If a softener is already installed, compare incoming and treated water before deciding between repair and replacement. Related: Ankeny · Ames.
For a Sheldahl installation, we check people in the home, bathrooms, simultaneous water use, measured hardness and available flow. Then we review pipe size, existing equipment, a suitable drain, electrical access, bypass position and space for tanks and salt access. Under-sink RO also needs cabinet room, a faucet position and a drain connection; tankless equipment needs power. This makes the written recommendation useful before installation day.
A kitchen RO system provides a dedicated outlet for drinking and cooking water in Sheldahl. Compare tank storage and tankless output, then review inlet pressure, cabinet space, a faucet position, drain connection and filter access. Tankless equipment needs power; refrigerator piping is confirmed as part of the requested scope.
For a nitrate or other specific drinking-water concern in Sheldahl, we start with a current certified lab result and plan treatment from it. For nitrate, that lab test covers nitrate and arsenic, and we choose the system from the results and test again after installation. The free home screening measures hardness, iron, total dissolved solids and a nitrate screening reading. Additional laboratory testing is chosen for the concern.
For a Sheldahl home with recurring disinfectant taste or odor, compare a whole-home carbon stage with kitchen treatment. Carbon type, media volume, available flow and contact time are selected for the actual supply. Carbon does not remove calcium and magnesium, so softening serves a separate scale-control goal.
Kind Water Co helps Sheldahl homeowners compare water softeners, whole-home carbon filtration, kitchen reverse osmosis and repairs. Published equipment prices include standard installation and taxes. We confirm the plumbing scope, any travel or site-specific charges and the written equipment warranty before booking; installation is handled by vetted licensed and insured local plumbing professionals.
Published options: $3,650 dual-tank well package; $3,950 dual-tank well package with tank RO; $500 sediment filtration; $700 Class B supplemental UV for already-safe water. Standard equipment installation and taxes are included. Confirm any additional plumbing, travel and the selected system’s written warranty before booking. Related: well water setup.
Annual RO care is $199 for a tank system or $249 for tankless. Confirm the scheduled care scope, included filters and any additional work or travel before booking. Related: instant quote.
A private well near Sheldahl needs a plan for that property. Bring the latest laboratory results for bacteria, nitrate and other concerns; we add hardness, iron, TDS and nitrate screening and assess pump flow, pressure and sediment. Treatment may combine softening, iron or sulfur treatment, sediment filtration and a suitable drinking-water RO system. A neighboring city’s report cannot describe an individual well. Polk County Environmental Health offers private-well testing for coliform, E. coli, nitrate, arsenic and manganese. Confirm eligibility and scheduling with the county. Related: guide to free well water testing in Iowa.
If an existing softener in Sheldahl stops using salt, leaks, runs constantly or leaves hard water, start with diagnosis. Share the brand, model, error code and an optional photo of the valve or plumbing. We assess bypass position, brine draw, controls and the condition of serviceable components, then explain repair versus replacement, parts availability and the cost before proceeding. Ownership includes salt for a salt-based softener, carbon-media replacement and the selected RO filter and membrane schedule. After a Sheldahl installation, keep the settings and model information, monitor salt and leaks, and arrange a service check if water use or the supplier changes. Whole-home coverage includes lifetime parts, five-year media and one-year labor under the written terms; RO warranty is confirmed for the selected model.
Share the Sheldahl address, water supplier or private-well information, household size and the problem you want solved. An optional photo of the current valve, plumbing and under-sink space helps plan a retrofit or repair. Call the Des Moines team at 515-709-4674 or request the Central Iowa installed quote. Coverage, visit availability, travel and additional work are confirmed before booking. Related: Request your free in-home water test · get an instant quote.
Polk City · Ankeny · Ames · Johnston · All of Polk County
For water softener installation or repair, whole-home water filtration, or an under-sink reverse osmosis system in Sheldahl, contact our North Des Moines team at 515-709-4674. We test hardness, iron and TDS before recommending equipment. Get your Central Iowa installed quote, compare published water system prices, or read our Des Moines metro softener repair guide.
Begin with a hardness test, because Sheldahl’s public records do not include one. The city plant filters iron and handles the rotten-egg smell of hydrogen sulfide, but it does not soften. We usually start with a softener sized from that test. Carbon for chlorine taste and an under-sink RO for drinking water are optional add-ons. Homes on private wells get a plan built from that well’s own results.
The visit covers hardness, iron, TDS and a nitrate screening reading, all read on the spot, plus a look at your current setup. In Sheldahl we also sort out two things early: city line or private well, and which of the three counties your lot is in, because that county runs your free well tests. You leave with a written plan for equipment, scope and next steps.
If an existing softener in Sheldahl stops using salt, leaks, runs constantly or leaves hard water, start with diagnosis. Share the brand, model, error code and an optional photo of the valve or plumbing. We assess bypass position, brine draw, controls and the condition of serviceable components, then explain repair versus replacement, parts availability and the cost before proceeding.
A private well near Sheldahl needs a plan for that property. Bring the latest laboratory results for bacteria, nitrate and other concerns; we add hardness, iron, TDS and nitrate screening and assess pump flow, pressure and sediment. Treatment may combine softening, iron or sulfur treatment, sediment filtration and a suitable drinking-water RO system. A neighboring city’s report cannot describe an individual well. Polk County Environmental Health offers private-well testing for coliform, E. coli, nitrate, arsenic and manganese. Confirm eligibility and scheduling with the county. For a nitrate or other specific drinking-water concern in Sheldahl, we start with a current certified lab result and plan treatment from it. For nitrate, that lab test covers nitrate and arsenic, and we choose the system from the results and test again after installation. The free home screening measures hardness, iron, total dissolved solids and a nitrate screening reading. Additional laboratory testing is chosen for the concern.
Two city wells about 310 feet deep in buried sand and gravel. Well #1 was drilled in 1951 and sits inside the treatment plant; Well #2 was drilled in 1988. The plant aerates the water, filters out iron through two pressure sand filters, adds a polyphosphate and chlorine, and stores it in a 50,000-gallon tower.
The state has no hardness result on file for Sheldahl Water Supply, and the plant does not list a softening step. Older dissolved-solids tests from the 1980s were above 800 mg/L, which points to plenty of minerals. We test your tap so the softener is set from a real number.
Published options: $2,500 softener plus carbon; $2,850 softener plus carbon with tank RO. Standard equipment installation and taxes are included. Confirm any additional plumbing, travel and the selected system’s written warranty before booking.
Sheldahl’s three-county records were checked on October 4, 2026. Some results are decades old and are labeled that way. Your faucet test is what we size from.
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