Latest news with #RegionalWater
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Regional Water lifts boil advisory for one city, others remain under restrictions
AVOCA, Iowa — Weeks after issuing the initial boil advisory, the Regional Water Rural Water District has announced the drinking water boil advisory is lifted for one southwest town, while the rest remain under restriction pending further testing. The initial advisory went into effect on May 14th and covered several cities throughout southwest Iowa. On June 1st, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources announced that the advisory was lifted for Avoca. The lift only applies to Avoca; the rest of the cities remain under advisory pending results from recent samples. Regional Waters says those samples are estimated to be completed on June 3rd. Two water samples must test negative for bacteria to lift a boil advisory. Regional Water says almost 80 sampling points have been required to be collected and tested due to the systemwide pressure loss. Last day of Des Moines Con kicks off at Iowa Events Center Regional Water's water tower system maintained pressure throughout the weekend and says that the community's water conservation practices have proven helpful in filling the towers. Regional Waters asks the community to continue their efforts to conserve water even as advisories and restrictions could lift in the coming weeks. They say due to drought conditions in southwest Iowa, water availability will remain a concern until a temporary booster station is in place. 'The completion of a temporary booster pump between the region and Council Bluffs was delayed last week due to wet weather. However, in the last few days the area was dry enough to continue pipeline construction and testing; barring any unforeseen circumstances, Regional Water hopes the connection between Council Bluffs and Regional Water's system will be completed around June 11,' the Iowa DNR said in release. Residents are reminded that if water use exceeds capacity and the towers lose pressure, a boil advisory will go into effect again. Regional Waters asks residents to continue limiting water use. Limit or avoid watering or irrigation of lawns. Limit or avoid washing vehicles, except at commercial establishments that provide that service as their only means of income. In these cases, hours of use will be restricted to 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. No water shall be used to fill private swimming pools, children's wading pools, or similar articles. No water shall be used to clean streets, driveways, sidewalks, etc. Large-volume water users, including industries, motels, hotels, eating establishments, and livestock confinements are requested to scale back services and/or production. Schools are strongly urged to cancel physical education activities and inter-scholastic competitions that require showers or attract crowds, and take other actions to reduce water consumption. For those still under a boil advisory, bottled water is still available at the Regional Waters Rural Water District Avoca Office. Regional Waters and the Iowa DNR say they are continuing efforts to ensure safe drinking water and thank customers for their patience. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Southwest Iowa water system struggling to come back online
AVOCA, Iowa — It's been over a week now since Regional Water Rural Water Association began having trouble producing water for customers. The system serves a wide area over parts of counties in the southwestern corner of the state. A statement was issued to inform customers: 'Due to the declining watershed in their wellfield and sustained water usage, Regional Water announced that the Board of Directors has implemented the 'Level RED' advisory for its member customers and communities on their ATP System. This is the highest level of Mandatory Water Use Restrictions of its Emergency Water Conservation Plan.' On Monday, General Manager Tom Kallman told WHO 13 they are working toward restoring service. 'We appreciate all the people's efforts to conserve water,' said Kallman. 'We are working on beginning the testing of all the water in the system, but the time it will take is undetermined. It would be a matter of days at the earliest before the water supply could be returned to normal.' PHOTOS: Thunderstorms drop large hail in Iowa Monday The Rural Water Association has a permit to draw water from the nearby West Branch of the East Nishnabotna River. The river runs past the well field of the water association. The agency is also working on a plan to lay a pipeline to pump water from the Missouri River in Council Bluffs, as an alternate source. At Sue's Kitchen, located inside the longtime Ember's Restaurant, they're using bottled water for making coffee and drinking. They also have canned pop also, but no tea or anything that uses water piped in. 'The first day when I came in on Monday, it was a mess,' said Kasey McGurren, of Sue's Kitchen. 'I was using water bottles to make coffee here because I can't use my coffee maker or my tea machine or any other thing that's connected to a waterline.' 'The wells down here, it went down and there's nothing there to suck anymore,' said Steve Mathiasen, a Rural Water Customer who farms near Harlan. 'It was a surprise to me because we had some rains in spring, and I thought the water fields were back up again, but apparently they're not,' said Mike Schomers, a Rural Water Customer. 'We're just hoping that our water supply comes back up again and we can go back to drinking it.' Iowa News: Southwest Iowa water system struggling to come back online PHOTOS: Thunderstorms drop large hail in Iowa Monday Some of the heaviest rain of the season hits Iowa tonight Mineral water made Colfax a booming vacation hot spot Student winner of Iowa education license plate challenge revealed Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Regional Water issues mandatory water rationing, water sources below capacity
AVOCA, Iowa — Regional Water issued a Level Red water restriction advisory just days after issuing a boil advisory across several southwest Iowa counties. Regional Water, based in Avoca, Iowa, issued the boil advisory on May 10. Regional Water has service connections across Shelby, and portions of Pottawattamie, Harrison, Audubon, and Cass Counties. This does not include the Urban Bluffs area. The advisory was placed due to depressurization in their water towers, causing a risk of bacteria. Residents were encouraged to use boiled water or bottled water for drinking, brushing teeth, and food preparation. ISU President Wintersteen retires after 40 years with the school On Wednesday, Pottawattamie County notified residents that the Regional Water Rural Water Association (RWRWA) had issued a Level Red advisory for those served by the Avoca Treatment Plant. This is an escalation, as a yellow alert was placed by RWRWA on April 18, 2025. Pottawattamie County says more than half of Avoca residents were without water service on Wednesday and says additional outages are likely. The advisory was put in place due to continued drought conditions and below-average rainfall. Water sources are operating at less than 60% capacity according to Pottawattamie County. Effective immediately, the following restrictions are in place: No outdoor watering of lawns, gardens, or landscapes. No washing of vehicles, driveways, sidewalks, or buildings. No filling or refilling of swimming pools, hot tubs, or ornamental fountains. Restaurants may only serve water upon request. Lodging facilities must offer guests the option to reuse linens and towels. All leaks must be repaired within 48 hours of detection. Water use for construction purposes is restricted to essential activities only. Residents in the area are also encouraged to take shorter showers, turn off taps while brushing teeth and only run the dishwasher and washing machines with full loads. Neither the boil advisory nor the mandatory water rationing has an expected end date. To learn more about the boil advisory, water restriction, or ongoing outages, contact the RWRWA office at 712-343-2413. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Boil advisory issued for Regional Water customers in southwest Iowa
AVOCA, Iowa — A boil advisory has been issued for Regional Water customers served by the Avoca Treatment Plant in southwest Iowa. The advisory is issued for all Avoca Treatment Plant customers except those in and around Underwood, McClelland, and Weston. Regional Waters has service connections across Shelby, and portions of Pottawattamie, Harrison, Audubon, and Cass. This does not include the Urban Bluffs area. Residents in the area are encouraged to use an alternative water source or boil the water before drinking it. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, brushing teeth, food preparation, and making ice. The water can still be used for showering and similar purposes where it's not ingested. Stamp Out Hunger Drive underway in Des Moines Metro The advisory has been put in place due to depressurization in the Regional Water water towers. The distribution system depressurization due to demand, as drought-impacted wells struggle to meet water demands. Regional Waters and Iowa DNR are currently working on repressurizing the system. Samples will be collected and tested following repairs. Once the water tests clear, residents will be notified that it's safe for use again. It's recommended to bring the water to a boil and let it boil for one minute, and then let it cool before use. Boiling kills any possible contamination in the water, such as bacteria. If the water is colored do not use it, use bottled water instead. For more information, please contact the Regional Water Office at 712-343-2413. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1(800) 426-4791. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
