A south-central Iowa town is looking at using treated wastewater as a potential new source of drinking water. The town of Osceola draws its drinking water from West Lake, but the lake is six feet below normal after three years of drought. City Administrator Ty Wheeler says the city’s treated wastewater is cleaner than the raw water of the lake.

The town will need approval from the Department of Natural Resources before it can begin including treated wastewater in the drinking water supply. Osceola residents are currently under water use restrictions. Wheeler says the new water treatment system is much different than what water treatment used to be.

Wheeler says the recirculated water source could come online as soon as next year if they get approval from the state. It would be the first city in the state to reuse wastewater for drinking water. Wheeler made his comments on the Iowa Public Radio program River to River.