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.

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: