Rumors have been swirling online about whether the drinking water in the Des Moines metro area is safe after Central Iowa Water Works implemented a lawn watering ban in response to high nitrate levels in source water.
The regional water utility said Tuesday, June 24, that it’s doing everything in its power to keep drinking water safe. CIWW does not have plans to ban drinking tap water, said Executive Director Tami Madsen, though its first-ever ban on lawn watering remains in place.
Here’s what else we know about the ongoing ban and nitrate testing.
Is my water safe to drink?
The level of nitrates in the water is the main concern for CIWW. Increased runoff from fields north of the Des Moines metro have pushed up levels in the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers, which are key sources of drinking water for the metro.
Treatment plants are able to remove nitrates, but the high levels are testing the system’s capabilities.
Water exiting the plant is currently sitting at about 8.01 milligrams of nitrate per liter, compared to the 14.17 milligrams per liter coming into the plant from the Raccoon River, and 13.9 milligrams per liter from the Des Moines River. The safe drinking water standard is 10 milligrams of nitrate per liter.
The average level of nitrates in water in the rivers has been slowly on the rise over the past few decades, according to the data from CIWW, but Madsen said Des Moines residents should not be concerned.
“Thankfully, the lawn watering ban has been incredibly effective, so we have not exceeded the drinking water standard of 10 milligrams per liter,” Madsen said Tuesday. “We do not anticipate needing to put any kind of further restriction or ban whatsoever.”
Should I get a water filter?
There is no need for Des Moines residents to purchase in-home water treatment systems, said Lisa Morarend, a chemist at Des Moines Water Works. Home testing kits, she added, also are an unnecessary purchase.
“There are some things you want left in the water,” Morarend said. “You have some minerals that are naturally occurring in the water that you want to be there.”
Norah Judson is a reporter for the Register. Reach her at njudson@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Is my water safe to drink? Do I need a water filter? What CIWW says about nitrate levels.
Reporting by Norah Judson, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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