(Avoca, Iowa) – Five-years of near drought conditions have taken its toll on the amount of water one western Iowa utility is able to distribute to its customers. This past Wednesday (May 14th), the Regional Water Rural Water Association based in the Pottawattamie County town of Avoca, instituted “Level Red” mandatory water restrictions for the customers they serve through the Avoca Treatment Plant System, which includes members in parts of Shelby, Audubon, Cass, Harrison, and Northern Pottawattamie Counties. That includes the communities of Avoca, Persia, Panama, Portsmouth, Westphalia, Kirkman, Tennant, Earling, Exira, and Brayton.

Regional Water General Manager Tom Kallman told KJAN their wells are very low due to the drought, and excessive draws to meet demand.

Kallman says they started pumping from their wells 24-hours per day, beginning March 29th, to meet demand, and they’re still pumping 24/7, which is causing issues with maintenance of the utilities’ facility.

An Alert “Level Red” water restriction means usage should be limited to essential needs only.

That means no filling of pools, washing vehicles and driveways, and having restaurants serve water to their customers, only if its requested. Kallman says they’ve been in a “Conservation mode” for nearly the past three-years.

He says there are two other aquifers Regional Water can tap into, but they are very deep, and test holes so far have come-up empty, especially with regard to the Dakota Aquifer. The Jordan Aquifer is about 3,000-feet deep, and Kallman says it would take one-million dollars to drill that far…money they don’t have. He says in an ideal world, a one-inch soaking of rain per day for about 40-days would help to replenish the aquifers Regional Water uses. Anything more would run-off into the Missouri River and into the Gulf. The current drought situation, according to Kallman, has left left their water supply about four-feet below average for the last four-years. The bottom-line he said, is that rain is desperately needed, and conservation is required.

He urged residents to remind their neighbors that water rationing is in effect, especially since some people are unaware of the current situation. This past Thursday and Friday, the Avoca Fire Station served as an Emergency Water Distribution site specifically for Regional Water customers in Avoca and rural Pottawattamie County, who are experiencing the disruption of water pressure issues that has resulted in no or little water available for use. The distribution was not intended for customers who are under a Boil Advisory.