Latest news with #CentralIowaWaterWorks
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Central Iowa Water Works asks residents to reduce water use as nitrate levels soar
Central Iowa Water Works is asking customers to reduce lawn watering by at least 50% and adopt other water conservation measures as levels of harmful nitrates reach near-record levels in its water sources, straining its treatment capacity. It said in a Wednesday, June 11, news release that if demand does not decrease quickly, it will have to prohibit lawn watering. 'Water production is significantly reduced at the Fleur Drive Treatment Plant because of near record high nitrate concentrations,' Tami Madsen, executive director of Central Iowa Water Works, said in the release. She said that if water demand continues to rise, the agency's water producers could be at risk of exceeding the The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's nitrate limit of 10 milligrams per liter. Nitrate is a form of nitrogen that can be released into water from manure and commercial fertilizers used on upstream farm fields. High levels of nitrates have been lined to asphyxia in infants, called blue baby syndrome, and even low nitrate levels have been tied to some cancers. Des Moines Water Works has been unsuccessful in seeking to impose limits on nitrate-laden runoff Central Iowa Water Works said in the release that the Fleur Drive treatment plant in Des Moines, which provides water to 600,000 central Iowa residents, has been using costly to operate machinery to remove nitrates from the water supply for more than 50 days. In addition, one of the plant's primary water sources, the Raccoon River, has such high concentration of nitrates that it cannot be used, Madsden said. 'Our treatment plants and the nitrate removal facility are running at capacity," she said. The release also noted that lawn watering significantly increases water usage during warmer months —driving daily consumption from an average of 50 million gallons to as much as 70 million gallons. The request comes as Des Moines sees some of the highest temperatures so far this season, with a high of 92 degree forecast Wednesday. Water Works is also asking residents to take other measures to reduce water use, including repairing leaking faucets, washing only full loads in the washer and dishwasher, taking shorter showers, and holding off on washing cars, playing with water toys and filling swimming pools. In its own release Wednesday, and in response to Central Iowa Water Works' request, the City of Des Moines said it will be reducing hours of operation at 17 city splash pads starting tomorrow. Those will now only run from noon to 6 p.m. The city also said it's significantly reducing irrigation on its other properties. Nick El Hajj covers breaking news for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at nelhajj@ This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Central Iowa Water Works warns central Iowans to reduce water demand
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Central Iowa Water Works says splash freely on 4th of July— but please don't water lawns
Central Iowa Water Works is inviting metro residents to spend what's forecast to be a hot Fourth of July weekend to splash and play, even as it maintains an unprecedented lawn‐watering ban to preserve its capacity to treat source water with soaring nitrate levels. 'We want you to go play with your kids in your water, do slip‐and‐slides, your kiddie pools, your hoses,' Executive Director Tami Madsen told reporters at a briefing Tuesday, July 1, reiterating that 'all water produced by Central Iowa Water Works continues to meet all safe drinking water standards.' She called on residents to balance fun with restraint, thanking them for their 'cooperation in helping us reduce demand to ensure our treatment system is effective.' The appeal comes as Central Iowa Water Works largest member, Des Moines Water Works, has been force to run the nitrate removal system at its Fleur Drive treatment plant for more than 50 days, straining its ability to keep treated water below the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's maximum nitrate level of 10 milligrams per liter. Nitrate is a form of nitrogen that can be released into water from manure and chemical fertilizers used on upstream farm fields. High levels of nitrates have been linked to asphyxia in infants, called blue baby syndrome, and even low nitrate levels have been tied to some cancers. Summer lawn watering can increase demand by 40%. Central Iowa Water Works imposed the watering ban June 12 after briefly seeking a voluntary halt to watering. At the time, the Raccoon River's nitrate levels were near record levels, rendering it too polluted to use. The city of Des Moines responded to the ban by closing its 17 splash pads but reopened them with limited hours after CIWW calculated they use less than 2% of the system's capacity. Splash pools and the city's swimming pools also are open, and the Des Moines Fire Department still plans to offer a giant slip-and-slide at Nahas Aquatic Center from 1 to 3 p.m. July 4. On Tuesday, CIWW reported that demand remains about 30% below pre‐ban levels, enabling it to keep treated water safely within regulatory limits even though nitrate levels in the Raccoon River are rising, reaching 15.93 milligrams per liter after a drop resulting from the dilution effect of heavy rain last week. Nitrates in the Des Moines River registered 12.28. Treated water from Des Moines Water Works' Fleur Drive plant measured 7.51 milligrams per liter and its McMullen plant's finished water contained 7.25. Madsen's invitation to enjoy the water came as Polk County officially released a watershed assessment, previously obtained and reviewed by The Des Moines Register, that found the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers 'often contain some of the highest nitrate levels in the U.S. and routinely exceed the health-based drinking water standard, threatening human health and increasing the cost and complexity of water treatment.' The summary called for watershed-scale conservation measures to stem nitrate pollution at its source. Asked at Tuesday's briefing for comment on the report, Madsen said, 'We are grateful that there are so many scientists involved in the discussion. But right now, we're really focused on continuing to provide safe drinking water to all of our 600,000 water users. So if we continue to adhere to the lawn-watering ban, which is going to be very important as we enter the hot dry weekend, we can continue to produce that safe drinking water for our customers.' When asked whether an exit strategy from the ban is in place, Madsen said 'we need to see a sustained reduction in downward trend in our source water nitrates before we can exit any kind of ban. Warm, dry weather will help us determine whether there are any trends.' She added that the CIWW board and technical committee are discussing a 'phased approach to lift restrictions.' Madsen did not quantify how long the sustained decline must last or how far nitrate levels must fall, saying only that CIWW needs to see a 'sustained, consistent downward trend in those nitrate levels in the river' below 10 milligrams per liter. She likewise did not elaborate on what a rollback would look like, saying the agency is 'still working through the details.' Nick El Hajj is a reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at nelhajj@ This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Central Iowa Water Works: Play in water July 4 but don't water lawns
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Des Moines closing splash pads, some pools to reduce water consumption
DES MOINES, Iowa — The City of Des Moines announced Friday afternoon that it will be temporarily closing its splash pads and some pools to reduce water consumption. The announcement comes after Central Iowa Water Works implemented a first-ever ban on lawn watering Thursday to reduce the strain on water treatment facilities to remove near-record levels of nitrates in the Des Moines and Racoon rivers. Jefferson celebrates Great American Main Street Award Des Moines city officials said all spraygrounds, splash pools, and wading pools will be shut off beginning Friday. However, four of the city's pools and aquatic centers will remain open. Those locations include the Ashworth Swimming Pool, the Nahas Family Aquatic Center, the Northwest Family Aquatic Center, and the Teachout Family Aquatic Center. Birdland pool remains closed as the city works to install a new filter. According to CIWW, the lawn watering ban will be in effect for the foreseeable future until nitrate levels in the rivers decrease. As of Thursday, the nitrate levels in the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers were 17.3 mg/L and 15.4 mg/L, respectively. The last time nitrate levels in the rivers were that high was in 2013, when they reached over 14 mg/L in the Des Moines and 24 mg/L in the Raccoon. Metro News: Former Ankeny teacher sentenced to prison for sexually exploiting student Iowa-based ice cream sandwich now available at Costco locations across Midwest CIWW enacts ban on lawn watering as nitrate levels climb Brad Edwards joining WHO 13 as a contributor on July 1st Greg Edwards on making Des Moines a destination Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
13-06-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Near-record nitrate levels in Des Moines, Iowa-area rivers threaten drinking water
Local officials warned more than half a million Iowans in the state's capital city and suburbs on Thursday that near-record levels of pollutants in its rivers could make drinking water dangerous if immediate steps are not taken to reduce demand. But the officials declined to explain what they believe has caused the surge in nitrate levels, which has historically been tied to runoff from farmland draining into Des Moines-area rivers. The water utility, Central Iowa Water Works, issued a first-ever ban on lawn watering for the region after seeing the highest levels of nitrates in the river water since 2013. Federal regulations require a maximum nitrate level of 10 milligrams per liter. The current level being provided to 600,000 customers is 9, local officials said. "If we end up in a space where we're well over that … threshold, we're really going to start worrying about our pregnant women and our children under the age of six months," said Juliann Van Liew, public health director for Polk County. Van Liew warned that drinking water with too-high levels of nitrate could potentially cause birth defects and a condition when an infant's blood doesn't have enough oxygen, commonly known as blue baby syndrome. Tami Madsen, executive director of Central Iowa Water Works, said it is not unusual to see an increase given Iowa's "nitrate seasons," but noted this year has been unusually high. Still, she deferred on an explanation of what is driving the higher rates. "Unfortunately, this is a first, and this is not history that anyone should be proud of," Madsen said of the ban on lawn watering. She urged cooperation. "If we continue on the path we're on today, where people are still choosing to water their lawn over producing water that meets safe drinking water standards, we'll be back here to talk to you all about a violation of the Safe Drinking Water Act," Madsen said. Officials made clear the water currently meets regulations and is safe to drink. But while the water utility works to treat the water to reduce nitrate pollutants to a safe level, Des Moines metro residents' demand is higher than the amount they are able to treat. The utility said it has been treating water for 55 days, at a cost of between $14,000 and $16,000 a day. In the past, the high cost to Des Moines and the rest of Polk County has led officials to go to farmers directly, to the statehouse and to court in a tug-of-war with the state's dominant agricultural industry. The officials have long complained that nitrates and phosphorus from farm fertilizers pour off fields, concerned about rivers so polluted that even the utility's sophisticated and costly equipment could fall short in purifying. In 2015, the utility took the issue to court to ask for the millions of dollars it was being forced to spend to filter unsafe levels from drinking water taken from the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers. A judge ultimately dismissed the lawsuit against three northwest Iowa counties, ruling the issue was one for the Legislature to address. The state's Republican leaders at the time lauded the ruling, saying the lawsuit wasn't necessary to improve water quality because farmers and government subdivisions already are taking steps to ensure water quality. The nitrate issue goes back decades and involves a huge watershed area in agriculture-heavy Iowa, said Chris Jones, a retired University of Iowa research engineer trained as an analytical chemist whose research focused on water quality in agricultural landscapes. He also previously worked at Des Moines Water Works. The root cause of the nitrate problem is runoff from fertilizer and manure from agricultural operations, and June 1 is roughly the peak in Iowa, he said. Two new treatment plants have helped, but Jones suggested the long-term situation needs changes in agriculture. "Although the idea that lawn watering is an aesthetic and maybe not needed," he said, "the fact that they're telling people not to use water in this way is a real red flag about the situation with water quality."
Hamilton Spectator
13-06-2025
- Climate
- Hamilton Spectator
Near-record nitrate levels in Des Moines, Iowa-area rivers threaten drinking water
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Local officials warned more than half a million Iowans in the state's capital city and suburbs on Thursday that near-record level of pollutants in its rivers could make drinking water dangerous if immediate steps are not taken to reduce demand. But the officials declined to explain what they believe has caused the surge in nitrate levels, which has historically been tied to runoff from farmland draining into Des Moines-area rivers. The water utility, Central Iowa Water Works, issued a first-ever ban on lawn watering for the region after seeing the highest levels of nitrates in the river water since 2013. Federal regulations require a maximum nitrate level of 10 milligrams per liter. The current level being provided to 600,000 customers is 9, local officials said. 'If we end up in a space where we're well over that … threshold, we're really going to start worrying about our pregnant women and our children under the age of six months,' said Juliann Van Liew, public health director for Polk County. Van Liew warned that drinking water with too-high levels of nitrate could potentially cause birth defects and a condition when an infant's blood doesn't have enough oxygen, commonly known as blue baby syndrome. Tami Madsen, executive director of Central Iowa Water Works, said it is not unusual to see an increase given Iowa's 'nitrate seasons' but noted this year has been unusually high. Still, she deferred on an explanation of what is driving the higher rates. 'Unfortunately, this is a first and this is not history that anyone should be proud of,' Madsen said of the ban on lawn watering. She urged cooperation. 'If we continue on the path we're on today, where people are still choosing to water their lawn over producing water that meets safe drinking water standards, we'll be back here to talk to you all about a violation of the Safe Drinking Water Act,' Madsen said. Officials made clear the water currently meets regulations and is safe to drink. But while the water utility works to treat the water to reduce nitrate pollutants to a safe level, Des Moines metro residents' demand is higher than the amount they are able to treat. The utility said it has been treating water for 55 days, at a cost of between $14,000 and $16,000 a day. In the past, the high cost to Des Moines and the rest of Polk County has led officials to go to farmers directly, to the statehouse and to court in a tug-of-war with the state's dominant agricultural industry. The officials have long complained that nitrates and phosphorous from farm fertilizers pour off fields, concerned about rivers so polluted that even the utility's sophisticated and costly equipment could fall short in purifying. In 2015, the utility took the issue to court to ask for the millions of dollars it was being forced to spend to filter unsafe levels from drinking water taken from the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers. A judge ultimately dismissed the lawsuit against three northwest Iowa counties, ruling the issue was one for the Legislature to address. The state's Republican leaders at the time lauded the ruling, saying the lawsuit wasn't necessary to improve water quality because farmers and government subdivisions already are taking steps to ensure water quality. The nitrate issue goes back decades and involves a huge watershed area in agriculture-heavy Iowa, said Chris Jones, a retired University of Iowa research engineer trained as an analytical chemist whose research focused on water quality in agricultural landscapes. He also previously worked at Des Moines Water Works. The root cause of the nitrate problem is runoff from fertilizer and manure from agricultural operations, and June 1 is roughly the peak in Iowa, he said. Two new treatment plants have helped, but Jones suggested the long-term situation needs changes in agriculture. 'Although the idea that lawn watering is an aesthetic and maybe not needed,' he said, 'the fact that they're telling people not to use water in this way is a real red flag about the situation with water quality.' ___ Associated Press writer Jack Dura contributed from Bismarck, North Dakota. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
