US Edition
Central Iowa Water Works asks residents to reduce water use as nitrate levels soar
- On June 11, Central Iowa Water Works banned all commercial and residential lawn watering due to near-record nitrate levels threatening water safety in Des Moines and surrounding areas.
- The ban came after months of expensive efforts to remove nitrates, which had increased due to runoff from agricultural fertilizers and manure, pushing levels close to the maximum concentration allowed by EPA regulations.
- The Fleur Drive treatment plant, serving 600,000 customers, has reduced water production because the Raccoon River source is too polluted, and treatment facilities operate at full capacity amid high demand from lawn watering.
- Executive Director Tami Madsen cautioned that if the situation worsens, a formal advisory will need to be issued warning that the water currently being supplied is unsafe for consumption by pregnant women and children, while health officials described the situation as an urgent plea to safeguard these vulnerable groups.
- Authorities urge residents to drastically reduce water use through voluntary cuts and conservation measures, warning that continued lawn watering could lead to water service disconnection and potential Safe Drinking Water Act violations.
28 Articles
28 Articles
Bulletin-Review
Near-record nitrate levels in Des Moines area rivers threaten drinking water
Officials are warning more than half a million Iowans that near-record levels of pollutants in rivers could make drinking water dangerous if immediate steps are not taken to reduce demand.
Lawn watering is now banned for more than a half-million central Iowans - Radio Iowa
Due to high nitrate levels from farm chemical runoff, the utility that supplies water to 600-thousand residential and commercial customers in the Des Moines area is imposing an immediate ban on watering lawns. Tami Madsen, executive director of Central Iowa Water Works, says nitrate levels in the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers, which supply the […]
Drinking Water in Des Moines Is Nearing Danger Levels
Local officials warned more than a half-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 say what has caused the surge...
Associated Press News
Near-record nitrate levels in Des Moines, Iowa-area rivers threaten drinking water
Local officials are warning more than half a million Iowans in the state's capital city and suburbs that near-record level of pollutants in its rivers could make drinking water dangerous if immediate steps are not taken to reduce demand.
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