Ankeny water ban
- Thread starter ISUcyclones11
- Start date
There’s a ban on watering lawns for everyone that gets their water from DMWW.
We will do anything to not address the actual problem.
I'm curious if the plants need to be upgraded to handle the higher nitrate levels, or if they can be.
Already has been. A lot has been spent on it.
Theres only so much they can do without addressing the actual problem
LOL when 1st reading this I was thinking about the plants in your yard. Then I realized you are talking about the denitrification plants.
DMWW has the biggest nitrate removal system on the planet right now.
Maybe I'm just an ******* (hint: I am), but anyone know if you can rat people out? Let's just say there are a few neighbors in my neighborhood I don't care for and I noticed they were watering this AM....
make sure you are ready with the lock button boss
DMWW has a certain capacity for removing nitrates from the water.
When demand is too high, the nitrates cannot be removed from water fast enough causing problems.
DMWW has therefore asked to not water lawns and be more conscious of water, to try and lower demand.
The nitrate removal system works and it the water is as safe to drink as any other tap water.
The amount of demand for water is too high right now to keep it that way.
DMWW has facilities plans in place to try and increase flows, but that takes a really long time to design and build. This is also true on the wastewater side with the WRA. The city has grown a TON over the last decade and is projected to continue to do so. More people means they need more flows.
The city tried to sue farm companies upstream for runoff and were laughed out of court. The state legislature makes many decisions with either the goal or effect of negatively impacting the DSM metro. The city is a bit between a rock and a hard place.
When demand is too high, the nitrates cannot be removed from water fast enough causing problems.
DMWW has therefore asked to not water lawns and be more conscious of water, to try and lower demand.
The nitrate removal system works and it the water is as safe to drink as any other tap water.
The amount of demand for water is too high right now to keep it that way.
DMWW has facilities plans in place to try and increase flows, but that takes a really long time to design and build. This is also true on the wastewater side with the WRA. The city has grown a TON over the last decade and is projected to continue to do so. More people means they need more flows.
The city tried to sue farm companies upstream for runoff and were laughed out of court. The state legislature makes many decisions with either the goal or effect of negatively impacting the DSM metro. The city is a bit between a rock and a hard place.
I would assume that looking at each client's water bill usage and seeing a big uptick, would be one indication. If the H2O police came out and saw a green yard after seeing the big uptick in usage, where everyone elses is turning brown, would be pretty easy to charge them.
They're also pulling out of Moffit Lake right now because the Raccoon River is completely unusable due to Nitrate levels.
Honestly, they should be reported (or told about the ban, I'm sure some people don't understand it). This is kind of a big deal.
I didn’t know this was a thing/there were issues, but why would someone be watering their lawn now anyway? The grass is growing/staying perfectly green on its own…
Never been a fan of watering a yard so this is a non-factor for me. Water bill is already expensive enough I don't need to add to it for what is usually a lost cause by mid summer. Let your yard burn out, enjoy not having to mow it for a few weeks, and when it cools down and get some rain it will come back in the fall again.
And meanwhile there is still heavy flow being let out of Saylorville right now running right through the city that nobody has thought to use within the last 60 years.
