United Group Insurance

Regional Water says customers need to conserve water or risk a Boil Advisory

News

April 18th, 2025 by Ric Hanson

(Avoca, Iowa) – Officials with Regional Water in Avoca issued a Drinking Water Advisory to customers of the utility. Last week, Regional Water issued a “Drinking Water Advisory – Level Yellow,” for low water tower levels due to excessive usage. Friday (today, April 18th), the utility said “Upon issuing the Drinking Water Advisory Level Yellow reminder last week, usage continues to rise. All water towers fed by Regional Water’s Avoca Treatment Plant (ATP), are close to losing pressure and being empty.
“If the towers lose pressure, a Boil Advisory will immediately have to be put in place. Regional Water is pumping the maximum amount of water they can, and staff are doing everything they can to try to maintain pressure in all water towers. However, it is up to the customers at this point to prioritize their water usage and conserve and use alternative water sources as much as possible to not only avoid a system wide boil advisory but also possible intermittent times of not having water at all to flush toilets, shower, cook, etc.
“Regional Water’s Board of Directors would like to remind the member customers and communities on their ATP System that [you] are still in Alert Level Yellow – Mandatory Non-essential Water Restrictions. This does not include in town or rural customers of Underwood, McClelland, or Weston as they are on a completely separate water system.”
Agricultural, commercial, industrial, municipal, and residential users are asked to observe the following reduction measures:
A. Large volume water users, including livestock confinement facilities and spraying operations should look at alternative water sources, to include their own private wells, Harlan Municipal Utilities and Council Bluffs Water Works retail water points, as well as any other non-potable sources.
B. No watering of any kind at any time.
C. Encourage the use of existing private wells where possible.
D. Commercial water users, including industries, motels, hotels, and eating establishments should conduct a water usage audit to reduce water use accordingly.
E. All water users should examine their plumbing for leaks, check toilets to ensure they are not running continuously, and install water saving devices in toilets, faucets, and showers. Facilities with automatic flush valves should adjust the valves to double the time between flushes.
F. Water users should reduce their shower time, use a lower level of water while bathing in a tub, shut off the water while bathing, shaving, brushing their teeth, or preparing food, and only do full loads of laundry and dishes.
For more information, please visit Regional Water’s website, rwrwa.org or contact the Regional Water Office at 712-343-2413.