CLIVE, Iowa —
Central Iowa Water Works has confirmed that drinking water in many central Iowa communities remains safe, thanks in part to a lawn watering ban due to high nitrate levels in the rivers.
Water Works stated that nitrate levels in the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers remain above 10 milligrams per liter, so the ban cannot be lifted yet. As a result, many public spray grounds and splash pads will stay closed. Residents in Clive who continue using their lawn irrigation systems may receive a visit from city officials.
The city of Clive notified hundreds of water customers over the weekend, placing orange Water Violation notices on the door knobs of 350 homes on Saturday. This represents about 10% of Clive residents who use an irrigation meter. The notice warns of a $100 fine on the next water bill if customers continue using lawn irrigation. Mike Biegger, a Clive homeowner, received a notice after forgetting to shut off his system.
What to know about Central Iowa Water Works’ lawn watering ban
"Never intended to do that, so shut it off immediately. I understand what's driving it. And I want to support what's needed to be able to get the nitrates back in line with where they need to be," Biegger said.
Clive Assistant City Manager Pete De Kock explained that the notices were primarily for raising awareness, not for keeping a list of violators.
"There are some people, when they got it, they said, I don't want to be on that list. And rest assured, we're not keeping a list of people because again, this was about awareness raising. We needed to get the word out very, very quickly," De Kock said.
De Kock noted that a fine would be a last resort and praised Clive residents for their cooperation, stating that water use has fallen by about 80% since the notices were distributed.
What are nitrates in drinking water and why Iowa officials are watching closely
"On Saturday, we had 1.933 million gallons go through irrigation meters in Clive. That number dropped down to only 320,000 gallons by Sunday. So this is a great testament to the people of Clive listening and saying, we care about this. We understand that it's important and we're going to do our part. We're so appreciative of the residents and businesses come alongside and doing the right thing," De Kock said.
Des Moines shuts down spraygrounds as central Iowa cities work to conserve water
Clive city leaders indicated that it might be some time before lawn irrigation is permitted again, depending on nitrate levels. They emphasized that Clive water remains safe to drink.
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