Sioux City provides annual water quality report
The report is required by the Environmental Protection Agency and serves to show how well the water treatment and supply system is providing to water customers.
The report can be seen by clicking here. Residents can also get a copy of the report by mail, by calling the Water Treatment Plant at 712-279-6156. You can also view the last three years of water quality reports on the city website.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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CBS News
31-07-2025
- CBS News
Despite price tag, Colorado town happy to shift to electric lawn equipment under new state regulation
The Environmental Protection Agency has designated the Denver metro area as "severely" out of compliance with ozone air quality standards. The state says emissions from gas-powered lawn and garden equipment account for about 11% of total air pollution across Colorado's Front Range. Colorado typically sees its highest pollution levels in the summer months. It's why the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission has adopted a new regulation that will impact communities across the region. The streets in some parts of Colorado are quieter this summer, thanks to a new law restricting the use of small gas-powered lawn equipment on public land. "It's a lot quieter. We get compliments, actually, at our downtown site ... the homeowners there have told us how quiet it is with the backpack blowers," said Bob Maloney, manager of parks operations and maintenance for the town of Castle Rock. Brian Doyle spends his summers on the town of Castle Rock's lawns. "We just blow off the grass after you finish mowing, when it gets on the sidewalks, and help clean up the area. Make it look nice," Doyle said. This summer, he's not using the gas-powered equipment he used to. "It's super loud. And it's, it's, it'll kind of wake up the neighbors," Doyle said. "The electric's a lot nicer." The rule restricts state entities from using gas-powered lawn equipment under 25 horsepower in summer, and in areas that don't meet ozone air quality standards, like the entire metro area and North Front Range. Local and federal government entities face the same restriction for equipment under 10 horsepower. Contractors providing lawn services for government entities must also comply. "Those push lawn mowers, leaf blowers, trimmers and other equipment. They may be small, these types of small equipment, but they produce a shocking amount of pollution," said Kirsten Schatz, advocate with CoPIRG Foundation. The nonprofit CoPIRG worked to pass the policy, which is the first of its kind in the nation. "Exposure to ozone at the levels that we experience here in our region of Colorado are associated with asthma attacks, lung damage, cardiovascular disease and even premature death. So it's important that we do what we can to clean up our air," said Schatz. Towns like Castle Rock had to transition by June 1. "Just on the parks side, we purchased 15 string trimmers, about 15 backpack blowers, a couple edge stick edges for our sidewalks, and four chainsaws and a walk-behind mower," said Maloney. A town spokesperson says the town ordered 104 tools, 190 additional batteries to support use of the tools, and 66 battery chargers. Including those batteries and chargers, the town spent $117,556 on the electric equipment, but a federal grant from the Energy Efficiency Block Grant Program covered the hefty price tag. Castle Rock workers say the equipment is easier to use. "The gas powered, it's difficult. You got to keep fueling up at the gas station. Stuff with this, you just pull a battery in the morning and put it in your truck and you're good to go," said Maloney. "When you're using gas, are you breathing in fumes?" CBS Colorado's Olivia Young asked Doyle. "Yes, yes, always, always. It's like it's dripping on you, or it'll be smelling. It's just, it's kind of just a nuisance. It's kind of not very fun," Doyle responded. The requirement is in place for June through August, the months with the highest ozone violations. "I love it. I think it works great," Doyle said. "I think there's a lot more pluses to the electric than the actual gas." But with Brian's endorsement, the equipment may stick around all year. "I'll be honest, just with the feedback I've gotten from my guys. I think we'll continue just to use the electric here and outside the window of June, July and August," said Maloney. Schatz says this year the state is taking a supportive approach to enforcement. She encourages entities outside of government and individuals to transition to electric equipment as well. "Ultimately, we should stop using equipment that produces such a shocking amount of harmful pollution and harmful noise. But right now, we're at a place where state and local governments are leading the way in cutting this harmful form of pollution, and that's really great to see. And then we have to figure out what the best way is to get there so we can get to the point where we have cleaner and quieter lawn equipment across the board," said Schatz.
Hamilton Spectator
30-07-2025
- Hamilton Spectator
Composting helps the planet. This is how to do it, no matter where you live
Most of what goes into U.S. landfills is organic waste, ranging from household food scraps to yard trimmings. That's a problem because in that environment, organic waste is deprived of oxygen, which helps break material down. The result: the release of a lot of methane , a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Consumers can curb their environmental impact by composting, which helps break material down in ways that reduce the release of methane. This can be done whether someone lives in a home with a yard or in an apartment without outside space. Composting also alleviates pressure on landfill space and results in a nutrient-rich substance that help soil. Robert Reed, with the recycling and composting company Recology, said that applying compost makes soil better at retaining moisture, which makes it resilient against droughts, wildfires and erosion. For people who want someone else to compost their food scraps, some local governments offer curbside pickup. Otherwise, nonprofits, farmers markets and community gardens often fill that gap. Companies in some areas also will pick up the food waste to be taken away for composting for a fee. For those who want to try composting at home , here's how to get started . If you've got a yard Composting doesn't necessarily require much space. Even 4 square feet — roughly the size of a standard office desk — can do the trick. Common receptacles include open wooden bins or large barrel-shaped tumblers that you can rotate on a metal rod. Free-standing piles also work. Some people follow a strict schedule of turning the pile, often with a hoe or shovel, or adding to it regularly. Backyard composting typically relies on microbes to break down the waste, which can bring a pile's temperature up to 130-160 degrees Fahrenheit (54-71 degrees Celsius). Others follow a more passive approach. Experts break the composting recipe down into four main ingredients: water, oxygen, nitrogen-rich 'greens' (food scraps, grass clippings) and carbon-rich 'browns' (cardboard, dead leaves, shredded paper). Typically compost has two or three times as much 'brown' material as 'green.' The Environmental Protection Agency recommends against meat, bones, dairy, fats and oils in backyard compost piles because they typically don't get hot enough to fully break them down, and because they're more likely to attract pests. The agency also says to steer clear of treated wood, glossy paper, pet waste and compostable dishware or bags. Experts say composters can experiment with what works and what doesn't. Rodale Institute Senior Farm Director Rick Carr said he's tried animal products and just about everything in his household. Hair from the hair brush and fully cotton swabs break down great. Cotton T-shirts? Not at all. 'If you're unsure if it'll break down, put it in there and you'll find out,' he said. The bacteria and fungi feed on the pile of organic waste and turn it into compost. The finished product looks like moist, dark soil. The EPA says a well-tended pile can produce finished compost in three to five months, while a more passive pile that doesn't reach high temperatures may take up to a year. Bob Shaffer, who owns a company called Soil Culture Consulting, said that for him, the process can take closer to nine months, but it's easy to tell when it's finished. 'When you look at compost, what you should not be able to see is, oh, there's a leaf. There's that carrot top that I put in there 10 months ago. You shouldn't be able to discern what the material is,' he said. Common pitfalls Most composting problems happen when the ingredients get out of whack. One way to make sure you've got the right balance of 'greens' and 'browns' is a 'squeeze test,' by reaching into the pile and grabbing a handful then letting it go, said Nora Goldstein, editor of the organics recycling magazine, Biocycle. 'If it just kind of crumbles off your hand, it's too dry. If you squeeze and get a little bit of drips, it's a little wet. But what you want is to squeeze it, let it go, and have kind of a coating on your hand.' When the pile gets too dry, the composting process slows down or stops. The answer: Hose it down or add more food scraps. Another common problem is the opposite: there isn't enough air, or there are too many nitrogen-rich 'greens.' The first sign of trouble is when the compost pile smells. That typically means the microorganisms are dying and the pile is releasing methane, like in a landfill. The solution: stir the pile to get more air inside and allow it to cool down. Then add some cardboard or paper. A pile that's too wet can also attract flies, maggots and rodents. 'As long as you're mixing in enough amendment or browns, you'll stay out of trouble,' Goldstein said. If you lack outdoor space Composting indoors is possible through what's known as vermicomposting, a process that relies on worms. People can buy premade worm bins, make their own out of untreated wood or use plastic storage bins with a few modifications, according to the EPA. The containers should have tight-fitting lids and keep out the light. Only certain types of worms will work, and they can be obtained from a worm grower or a neighbor who's already started vermicomposting. Goldstein said that the process isn't always easy: 'You really have to know what you're doing.' Instead of relying on microbes, worms feed on the carbon- and nitrogen-rich organic matter. They poop out almost-black castings. That's the finished product. The EPA says it takes about three to six months, which can be faster than backyard composting. They can create a more nutritious end product than in traditional compost. But Goldstein said that it can be tricky to ensure conditions are right for the worms. 'You want to make sure those worms are very happy, because if they're not, they will leave the bin. And they're not harmful, it's just a little freaky,' said Goldstein. Traditional composting, whether indoors or outdoors, is typically a process that takes place over months, not days, Goldstein said. Electric countertop devices that promise to break down food in hours or days don't use the same process. Goldstein said those devices produce material that can be used in gardens, but it's 'not completely broken down' and should be mixed with soil. ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at .
Fast Company
29-07-2025
- Fast Company
How a growing demand for drought-tolerant, local plants is changing the landscaping industry
As the Western U.S. faces more damaging droughts, local governments—as well as an increasing number of homeowners—have been successfully promoting landscaping practices that eschew the stereotypical water-hungry grass lawn for more resilient choices. The average U.S. family uses roughly 50 gallons of water per day for outdoor plants and lawns, per statistics from the Environmental Protection Agency; a third of residential water use, or about 9 billion gallons per day, goes toward lawns, plants, and irrigation. Whether it's called native planting, xeriscaping, or drought-tolerant landscaping, the push to use more local plants has gained significant momentum. But many landscape architects are finding that the plant industry is straining to keep up. 'We're trying to create designs with plants that use less water, have deeper root systems, and are more resilient,' said Tyler Krob, a senior associate and landscape architect at Denver-based Superbloom. 'And the reality is, the nursery market just isn't capable of supplying those.' The growth in demand for native plants has skyrocketed in recent years, as developers and landscapers have pushed to reduce water usage and promote local flora and fauna. But despite this significant growth in demand, supply remains lacking, and the growers who do specialize in these plants aren't necessarily nearby; it's becoming harder and harder to find native plants locally. Putting pressure on the plant industry It's causing many landscape architects to alter projects and even rethink the supply chain for flowers, bushes, and shrubbery for future projects. It's also putting pressure on the massive plant and nursery industry, a $13.8 billion-a-year sector of the economy that employs as many people as the clothing retail sector. It's a very concentrated and top-heavy industry consisting of a number of massive players making significant sales with popular, non-native species, along with a number of smaller, regional nurseries that face economic pressures such as high land prices and aging ownership. According to Garden Center's 2024 state of the industry report, only 42% of sellers focus on native plant species. Superbloom, which works primarily in cities throughout the West, said the supply of local native plants has become such a challenge that it's forced to order plants from out-of-state nurseries and work directly with local nurseries to grow its own native species for its projects. Diane Lipovsky, cofounder and principal, said the shortage is forcing the company to swap out certain species and can even delay projects. Los Angeles-based landscape architecture firm Terremoto opened its own plant store to help expand the supply of local, native plants. 'I started that shop because I believed that there should be independently owned, mostly native plant shops sprinkled through all cities and communities, so that they're easy, affordable, and accessible,' said Terremoto principal/owner David Godshall. Superbloom has even persuaded clients to agree to grow their own plants at the onset of a large real estate project to avoid shortages later on. For the firm's current work on city and county buildings in Denver, for instance, the city has agreed to grow native plants in its own greenhouse to avoid having to pay to import plants from nurseries in the Midwest. Much of this push comes from good faith efforts to cut water usage and conserve natural resources, as well as emerging legislation to cut down water usage. The Colorado Legislature already passed SB 24-005, a bill that prohibits local entities from using non-native plant species on commercial, institutional, industrial, and common-interest community properties, as well as public spaces and state facility projects. It goes into effect January 1, 2026, and will likely exacerbate the shortage. States including Illinois and Delaware have also passed legislation encouraging the use of native plants, and in 2022 the federal Native Plant Species Pilot Program Act, which establishes native planting pilots for federal land management, was signed into law. Superbloom's Krob and Lipovsky said the real budget challenge in relation to using native plants is that designers often face delays and potential design compromises via substitution requests. Due to lack of availability, sourcing native or water-wise species might require a custom contract to grow, which can push a project out by a full season or more. That's just not feasible for many public or developer-led timelines. Where do we get more native plants? There are significant challenges to ramping up native plant production, said Deryn Davidson, a sustainable landscape specialist at Colorado State University. Native plants haven't been specially bred to grow in standard nursery-style containers, making it hard for larger contract growers to provide them to large commercial nurseries. You can't ask a manufacturer to crank out more products; plants need a lot of time and planning to grow. Lipovsky said she's seeing the industry gear up to expand, but it's still far behind what's needed. The pressure coming from government land managers and others seeking to restore natural habitats has caused a native seed shortage across the country. A 2023 report from the Committee on an Assessment of Native Seeds and Capacities found the industry was small and uncertain, with demand fluctuating wildly, while a 2022 report from the National Academy of Sciences found that nationally the supply of native plant material was 'severely insufficient.' Years with significant wildfire damage, for instance, can put sudden demands on dwindling seed stocks. In addition, many landscapers aren't as familiar with the intricacies of watering and caring for native plants, making it crucial to educate more workers on maintenance. And there's also consumer perception, which has been altered by the ready-to-grow nature of plants found at stores like Home Depot. 'These native plants can be slower to shine, and people will see these plants, which can take a year to really grow, and it's not what they're used to,' Davidson said. 'There's a bit of managing expectations that needs to take place.' Superbloom has found that specific species such as prairie dropseed, little bluestem, and pasqueflower have been particularly challenging to find on the current market. Krob found that even buying blue grama, Colorado's state grass, for use in his own front yard meant importing from a nursery in Illinois or Oregon. There are other key market forces at play. Landscaping, especially on a large, commercial scale, is intimately tied to the construction and real estate development industries, which continue to see declining new business. The American Institute of Architects Billings Index remains in negative territory after years of slow and even negative business growth. Despite those issues, this supply-and-demand imbalance is in many ways a good problem to have, and a sign that the trend toward native plants that support pollinators and cut down on water usage are very much taking root. And in a market as volatile as construction, greater availability of diverse, drought-tolerant native species from local nurseries would benefit the entire industry, especially when factoring in increasing pressures around water use. It would help reduce costs, improve access, and support compliance with emerging policies and legislation. 'Demand is probably just going to continue to go up,' said Davidson. 'It's industry growing pains, but it's exciting that we're at this point.' The early-rate deadline for Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies Awards is Friday, September 5, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply today.
