A Swisher utility bill has one charge on it. As of August 1, 2026, every residential household pays $120.26 a month for sewer and refuse, and $19.76 of that is refuse. There's no charge for water because the city doesn't sell any. According to the city's own engineering summary, Swisher has no citywide community water system, and residents rely on "a variety of individual and neighborhood wells."
So in Swisher, the cost of water sits with the house. It shows up during the inspection period, on the sewer bill, and in the town's wastewater plant. All three come from one decision voters made in 2023, and that decision is still playing out in council minutes this year.
The inspection contract has a gap where the water test would go
In Iowa, the rule people usually mean by "water inspection at sale" is about sewage, not drinking water. Iowa DNR's time-of-transfer program requires a certified inspection before a home served by a private sewage disposal system is sold or the deed is transferred. That covers acreages around Swisher that use septic. A house inside city limits is on city sewer, so it doesn't apply. The state and county pages that govern private wells don't describe a matching required water test when a home sells. In practice, whether the water gets tested depends on what the buyer writes into the offer.
For years, a free county program filled most of that gap. Johnson County Public Health offers free well water analysis to rural residents and encourages owners to test every year. That page now says the state grant money has run out, so testing and reimbursements can't be done. Its update is dated 9/20/26, and it says more funding may arrive in early 2027. Until then, the county sends paying customers to the State Hygienic Laboratory at these prices:
| Test through State Hygienic Laboratory | Price listed as of September 2026 |
|---|---|
| Coliform bacteria / E. coli | $18.50 |
| Nitrate + nitrite | $23.50 |
| Combined arsenic and manganese | $39.50 |
That's $81.50 for all three. Compared with a home purchase, that's a small number. The harder part is timing, since the sample has to go out, get analyzed, and come back before the inspection deadline in the contract. Iowa DNR recommends testing private wells every year. Its standard grant-funded panel covers bacteria and nitrate annually and arsenic and manganese every three years. Radium isn't on the county's test list or in DNR's standard panel. A buyer who wants it tested has to ask for it separately.
Ownership also varies more than buyers expect. In January 2023, the city counted two community water systems serving developments inside city limits, plus private wells and five smaller transient systems at places like a child care center, a bank and restaurants. Iowa DNR lists one of the community systems, Fisher Well Owners Association, as serving a population of 80, with an active well named "Fishers 5th Addition #1." A house might have its own well or share a well through an owners' association, and each setup leaves different people responsible for testing and repairs.
No meter means the sewer bill can't tell households apart
Water utilities normally measure usage, and cities use that number to bill for sewer. Swisher has no water meter to read. The city's 2023 Q&A on the proposed water system said so directly. The city doesn't meter water use, residents pay a flat rate, and a municipal system "would allow the City to meter water usage and create a sewer rate based on actual water usage."
So a retired couple and a family of six on the next lot pay the same amount. The flat charge has also gone up:
| City of Swisher residential sewer/refuse | Monthly charge | Source date |
|---|---|---|
| City water Q&A | $74.00 flat, with trash and yard waste billed per bag | January 11, 2023 |
| City sewer/refuse page | $120.26 flat, including $19.76 refuse | Effective August 1, 2026 |
The 2026 amount is about 62% higher than the 2023 figure. That's $46.26 more a month, or $555.12 more a year, for an annual total of $1,443.12. The two figures don't cover exactly the same service, though. In 2023, trash was charged at $3 a bag on top of the flat rate. The city announced utility increases on June 9, 2026, but the records reviewed here don't give the rate just before August or an official reason for the change.
What the records do show is steady sewer work. In April 2026 minutes, the council said the FY2027 budget for sewer videoing and lining had been quadrupled to get ahead of sewer problems. On June 8, it approved a change order and a second pay application for the 2026 Sanitary Sewer Lining project. All of that maintenance is paid through a single flat charge.
The water softener in the basement adds to the sewer plant's problem
The well water explains the next link. When HR Green studied a city system, it found that water from the Silurian aquifer near Swisher came close to or exceeded drinking water standards for hardness, total dissolved solids, iron, arsenic, manganese and ammonia. Hard water means salt-based softeners, and softener salt goes down the drain.
In 2021, the city's wastewater treatment plant received a revised permit with a chloride compliance schedule. Data from 2016 to 2020 showed effluent chloride would have exceeded the new average limit 10% of the time. The summary names the likely source plainly. "The primary source of the chlorides in the wastewater is believed to be salt based home water softeners." Wastewater plants have few ways to remove chloride, and the summary says the most effective option is to cut back the softener salt coming from homes.
That was 2022 analysis. The June 8, 2026 council minutes show the issue is still open, and new growth may make it worse:
"This was brought up by ION after the Pleasant Hill Development drilled into the Jordan Aquifer that this could put our chloride levels over DNR regulation if that water is treated using water softening systems. As we get more houses with water softening systems the chloride levels in our waste water will increase."
At that meeting, the council said it wants information on an ion exchange system and on upgrading the sewer plant to handle more chloride. No upgrade had been adopted as of those minutes. Any future plant work would most likely be paid through the same flat sewer charge every household pays.
Why city water isn't coming from a neighbor either
Connecting to a bigger neighbor's water was studied before the vote. HR Green asked Cedar Rapids, North Liberty and the Poweshiek Water Association. All three said capacity issues and other factors ruled out a connection at the time. The study concluded the only practical option was for the city to drill its own wells and build a treatment plant.
That plan went to the ballot. The city estimated Phase 1 at $5,220,000 and Phase 2 at $13,950,000. At planning level, Phase 1 would have cost each customer about $50 to $80 a month, with Phase 2 adding roughly $80 to $100, all on top of the existing sewer rate. On March 7, 2023, 84.2% of voters said no. The Johnson County Auditor lists that as the largest No percentage on any ballot issue in its records going back to 1977.
This year, the outside option came up again and went nowhere. On June 8, 2026, the council took up a request to connect a development at Hwy 965 and 120th to Cedar Rapids utilities. According to the minutes, Cedar Rapids wasn't interested because of the existing 28E agreement, and Cedar Rapids and Johnson County both declined to amend it. The council took no action. For the foreseeable future, new homes in Swisher will keep relying on wells. The June minutes say chloride levels in the city's wastewater will rise as more houses add water softening systems.
The 2023 Q&A raised one more tradeoff that's easy to miss. At the time, the Jefferson Monroe Fire Department had an ISO rating of 9 within five road miles and 10 beyond. Department staff said a municipal system with fire flow could bring the community to about 6 or 7, which could lower insurance premiums. Those are 2023 figures, and no current rating was confirmed for this post.
Questions buyers ask about Swisher water
Is a well test required when a Swisher home sells? The state's mandatory inspection at sale covers private septic systems, not wells. Whether to test, and for what, is something buyers and sellers negotiate in the purchase agreement.
Can I still get a free county well test? Not right now. Johnson County's page, updated 9/20/26, says the state grant money has run out and more may come in early 2027.
Does using less water lower the sewer bill? No. With no meter, residential households pay the same flat monthly charge.
Is city water being reconsidered? The 2026 records reviewed here show discussion of sewer plant upgrades and a declined Cedar Rapids connection. They don't show a new municipal water proposal.
If you're comparing a Swisher house with one in a corridor town that has city water, the comparison should include the well, who owns it, what the inspection covers, and a sewer charge that's the same no matter how much water you use. Kevin Wu can help you set up the water testing, check whether a well is private or shared, and schedule the inspection before the contract deadlines start running. Let's Connect.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
