Water Conservation Plan

Central Iowa Water Works (CIWW) announced Aug. 15, 2025, that it is exiting the Water Shortage Plan effective immediately. This includes the Stage I voluntary 25-percent reduction on watering and irrigation announced last week. CIWW’s Technical Committee voted unanimously to resume normal irrigation and lawn watering practices for the first time since May 30, 2025.

“The technical committee has continued to diligently review the source water quality as well as forecasted precipitation and expected water demand,” said Tami Madsen, executive director of CIWW. “The committee remains confident that the CIWW system can accommodate increased demand while complying with all safe drinking water standards, and we’re moving forward.”

The watering ban was announced on June 12, after requests for voluntary reductions of 25 percent (Stage 1) and 50 percent (Stage 2) met with significant increases in demand and threatened to push nitrate concentrations in treated drinking water above the U.S. Environment Protection Agency’s standard of 10 mg/L. Throughout the water quality challenge, CIWW has met all standards for safe drinking water.   

View the latest updates from Central Iowa Water Works

  1. CIWW Announces Phased Lifting of the Lawn Watering Ban Starting with Residential Customers

    Central Iowa Water Works (CIWW) officials announced the lawn irrigation ban, activated as part of the utility’s Water Shortage Plan, is being lifted in stages over the next three weeks. The first stage begins Tuesday, July 22. Read on...

  2. Nitrate violation imminent: Lawn watering banned immediately

    Pending an imminent risk of violating the nitrate standard, all commercial and residential lawn watering and use of automatic lawn watering systems are prohibited until further notice. Read on...

  3. OUTDATED Water treatment plants at capacity: CIWW calling for a voluntary 50% reduction

    Central Iowa Water Works requests voluntary minimum 50% cut in lawn watering. If customer demand does not immediately decline, lawn watering will be prohibited. Read on...