It’s been a wet spring in Iowa but water utilities in the Des Moines metro area are asking people to save water because of high nitrate levels in the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers. For now, Des Moines Water Works C-E-O Ted Corrigan says tap water is held below the legal limit by running a nitrate removal facility and mixing in low-nitrate water from wells and reservoirs. As people start watering lawns and demand increases, Corrigan says those low-nitrate sources won’t keep up.

The two rivers are a major source of drinking water for around 600-thousand people in central Iowa. The current filtration process simply won’t be able to meet demand, he says, as water use typically rises during the summer months.

Corrigan says Des Moines and other members of the Central Iowa Water Works are asking people to not over-water their lawns. If drinking water comes close to violating the nitrate standard, he says people can expect to see mandatory restrictions.

(Grant Gerlock, Iowa Public Radio via Radio Iowa)