DES MOINES, Iowa — After prohibiting lawn watering earlier in the week, Central Iowa Water Works gave an update on conditions in the metro.

Water Works imposed its first-ever ban on lawn watering on Thursday, following a previous 50 percent voluntary reduction that didn’t yield sufficient results.

On Saturday, CIWW shared saying nitrate levels remain elevated in the Des Moines River at 17.4 mg/L and in the Raccoon River at 16.5 mg/L. Water Works says that while the ban has lowered demand, their facilities are still running at maximum capacity.

On Sunday, Water Works provided another update on water usage saying,

Thank you for your efforts to reduce outdoor water use. By continuing current water conservation efforts through the mandatory lawn watering ban, CIWW is confident that we can continue to produce water without potentially violating the EPA standard. However, until nitrate concentrations in the Raccoon and Des Moines rivers drop, production capacity will remain reduced, and the lawn watering ban will need to remain in place.

Central Iowa Water Works

Water Works says showers Saturday night into Sunday morning helped reduce nitrate concentrations in local rivers, but they will continue to monitor changes upstream. Rain in watershed areas can send nitrates into waterways as it flows through field drainage tiles and runs off soil, according to CIWW.

Water Works continues to stress to customers that it is not a water availability issue; it is a water quality issue, due to both rivers hosting near-historic nitrate concentrations.

In their update on Saturday, Central Iowa Water Works shared this with their customers.

“This is only the first day in a multiple-day battle that will require us to be vigilant in our efforts to reduce demand on our water treatment facilities. Thank you for every measure you have taken and continue to take to get through this time of near-record nitrate concentrations. We need your help to continue producing water that meets safe drinking water standards.”