Pottawattamie, IA
Transparent derived index from EPA TRI / SDWIS / Superfund extracts: not an official EPA rating. Fixed caps: facilities ≤25 pts (50+ = max), log10 releases ≤25 pts, Superfund ≤25 pts (5/site), health-violation systems ≤15 pts (3/system), high-chemical facilities ≤10 pts. Bands: High ≥60, Moderate ≥30. See methodology. This is a different measure than the EJ Screening score for this county, which ranks it by percentile against other tracked counties rather than against these fixed caps.
Environmental data for Pottawattamie in Iowa · Population: 93,407
TRI sites such as Midamerican Energy Co Walter Scott Jr Energy Center; Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy; Barton Solvents Inc Council Bluffs; SDWIS systems such as COUNCIL BLUFFS WATER WORKS; REGIONAL WATER; CARTER LAKE WATER DISTRICT anchor Pottawattamie, IA's EPA extract. Derived burden score 39/100 (Moderate Risk) uses fixed national caps on density, log release volume, Superfund count, and health-flagged systems - not an official EPA rating.
Health-flagged SDWIS rows in Pottawattamie include REGIONAL WATER, while Midamerican Energy Co Walter Scott Jr Energy Center leads reported TRI pounds among local Form R filers. AQS median AQI 42 / peak 75 in 2024.
Burden score 39/100 (Moderate Risk) is the only weighted composite on this page. The tables below list every TRI facility, SDWIS system, and Superfund site EPA has on record for Pottawattamie -- not just the names called out above -- reproducing the disclosure history as filed, not a current-safety verdict. Extract current as of 2026-08-25.
Release-over-release change
What changed for Pottawattamie, IA: EPA TRI 2023 reporting year
Same facilities, both years
-19.8%
10 facilities that filed in 2022 and 2023
Whole inventory
-19.1%
1.9 million lb → 1.6 million lb, every facility that filed
Between the two reporting years, 2 facilities filed for the first time and 0 stopped filing. Facilities entering or leaving the inventory are excluded from the same-facility comparison above.
- Pottawattamie, IA's total reported releases fell from 1.9 million lb in 2022 to 1.5 million lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
- Pottawattamie, IA's off-site transfers fell from 1.5 thousand lb in 2022 to 497 lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
- Pottawattamie, IA's land releases fell from 1.9 million lb in 2022 to 1.5 million lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
- Pottawattamie, IA's air releases fell from 45.7 thousand lb in 2022 to 41.6 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
Air Quality History (2020–2024)
EPA Air Quality Index (AQI) data showing how many days per year fall into each air quality category.
| Year | Good | Moderate | Unhealthy (SG) | Max AQI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 77 (66%) | 40 | 0 | 75 |
| 2023 | 64 (52%) | 57 | 0 | 151 |
| 2022 | 91 (75%) | 30 | 0 | 72 |
| 2021 | 83 (67%) | 40 | 1 | 117 |
| 2020 | 85 (69%) | 39 | 0 | 80 |
Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) Annual AQI by County AQI categories: Good (0-50), Moderate (51-100), Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (101-150), Unhealthy (151-200), Very Unhealthy (201-300), Hazardous (301+)
For real-time air quality readings and pollutant breakdowns in Iowa, see the EPA's AirNow.gov.
Water Systems (12)
| System | System pop (SDWIS) | Violations |
|---|---|---|
| COUNCIL BLUFFS WATER WORKS | 64,447 | 0 |
| REGIONAL WATER | 4,132 | 3 |
| CARTER LAKE WATER DISTRICT | 3,791 | 0 |
| AVOCA WATER WORKS | 1,697 | 0 |
| URBAN BLUFFS - NORTH | 1,558 | 0 |
| OAKLAND MUNIC WATER UTILITY | 1,524 | 0 |
| WALNUT MUNICIPAL UTILITIES | 768 | 0 |
| CARSON WATER SUPPLY | 766 | 0 |
| MINDEN WATER SUPPLY | 598 | 0 |
| MACEDONIA WATER SUPPLY | 275 | 0 |
| HANCOCK WATER SUPPLY | 200 | 0 |
| HENDERSON WATER DEPARTMENT | 144 | 0 |
TRI Facilities (13)
| # | Facility | Total Releases |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Midamerican Energy Co Walter Scott Jr Energy Center | 8.8M lbs |
| 2 | Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy | 78.9K lbs |
| 3 | Barton Solvents Inc Council Bluffs | 37.8K lbs |
| 4 | Conagra Foods Packaged Foods LLC - Council Bluffs | 13.8K lbs |
| 5 | Plumrose DBA Jbs Prepared Foods - Council Bluffs 1 | 12.0K lbs |
| 6 | Tyson Fresh Meats Inc. | 11.3K lbs |
| 7 | Highline Warren LLC - Warren Performance Packaging | 3.0K lbs |
| 8 | Paxton & Vierling Steel - Structures | 1.7K lbs |
| 9 | Future Foam Inc | 1.4K lbs |
| 10 | Osi Industries LLC | 10 lbs |
| 11 | Ready Mixed Concrete Co Council Bluffs Plant | 1 lbs |
| 12 | Growmark Inc | 0 lbs |
| 13 | Omaha Standard Palfinger | 0 lbs |
Cities in Pottawattamie (9)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the environmental risk level in Pottawattamie, Iowa? ▼
Are there Superfund sites in Pottawattamie? ▼
How many toxic release facilities are in Pottawattamie? ▼
What is the air quality in Pottawattamie? ▼
Is the drinking water safe in Pottawattamie? ▼
What environmental agencies cover Pottawattamie? ▼
What does this county environmental profile show?
This county environmental profile rolls up EPA Toxics Release Inventory facility reports, Safe Drinking Water Information System public-water-system filings, and Superfund National Priorities List sites for the county boundary defined by the U.S. Census Bureau. Facility counts reflect facilities with a reporting address inside the county, not where downstream environmental effects may be observed. Population figures are from the most recent Census ACS 5-year estimate. The county detail page is updated whenever the upstream EPA programs publish revised data; see the methodology page for the documented ingest cadence and the editorial choices governing how aggregations are computed.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.