Save Water

Irrigation Ban is Ending in Phases

Update: July 31, 2025

Central Iowa Water Works has ended the ban on lawn watering for both residential and commercial properties. City, county and school properties will likely follow soon. With recent rain, there may not be a need to water your lawn. If homes or businesses must water their lawn, please follow the odd/even schedule, which helps manage demand on the water system. We thank you for complying with the lawn-watering ban and continuing to follow the even-odd watering schedule and other conservation guidance as restrictions are lifted. This community-wide effort ensured our drinking water was able to keep meeting all safe drinking water standards.

Why are we able to stop the ban? 

The water quality challenge related to high nitrate levels is stabilizing. Due to the recent rainfall, nitrate levels in all three main water sources are below 10mg/L and a consistent downward trend in at least one source water. 

What is the odd/even irrigation schedule?

• No one waters on Monday.
• Addresses ending in even numbers water on Sunday, Wednesday, or Friday
• Addresses ending in odd numbers water on Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday
• Limit watering to early morning or evening hours, so you don’t lose as much to evaporation. Before 10 a.m. or after 5 p.m. is best.
• If you have a townhome complex with both even and odd addresses, choose either the odd or even schedule and follow that. 

Only water with what you need. Most established lawns only need to be watered about 1 or 2 times per week, and rain counts. Don’t set it and forget it when it comes to automated sprinkler systems. Make sure you turn them off when it rains or consider adding a soil moisture sensor that helps your system know when water is needed.

How can you stay informed? 

As you ease back into watering your lawn when it needs it, keep an eye on communication from the City and Central Iowa Water Works in case anything changes. Thanks again for coming together as community to help protect our water supply. If you have questions, email communications@waukee.org.

What was the irrigation ban?

Because water treatment plants and the nitrate removal facility are running at full capacity due to especially high nitrate levels in source waters, Central Iowa Water Works (CIWW) activated Stage 3 of the Water Shortage Plan. Stage 3 is a ban on all irrigation for lawns across the CIWW service area. 

You can find daily updates on the nitrate levels in both the source rivers and the treated water that comes to your tap on the Central Iowa Water Works website, Facebook page or LinkedIn page. We are sharing these updates to the Stories section of the City of Waukee Facebook page. If you see sprinklers going, you can alert City staff to concerns by emailing publicworks@waukee.org or calling 515-978-7920. Be sure to include the address. Do not call Police dispatch or 911. 

Key things to know

• Your tap water meets all safe drinking water standards from the EPA. You can use it for drinking, cooking, brewing coffee and other household uses like usual.
• The preventative measure of banning lawn watering is working to keep demand at a pace that treatment facilities can meet, so our water stays within the safety standards.
• You can water new trees, your garden and potted plants, but please use only what you need for plant health and water before 9 a.m. or after 5 p.m.
• Water tables, kiddie pools and play sprinklers can be used to cool off. Fill pools slowly and in lower demand times like early morning or evening. Limit how long the water runs and turn off the water when you are not actively using sprinklers or water toys.

How does Central Iowa Water Works test for nitrates? Can I test at home?

Des Moines Water Works has a testing lab with chemists who test the water every day using professional testing equipment. Nitrate concentrations are measured at each step of the treatment process and shown through real-time reports. The accuracy of DIY test strips can be affected by age, storage and testing method. Home testing kits have limitations and are never as accurate as tests performed in a professional laboratory. The state-certified laboratory measures nitrate down to a hundredth of a milligram. Home test kits cannot measure to this accuracy. They often measure in different levels or for nitrate (NO3), but the Safe Drinking Water Standard is measured in nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N). NO3 refers to the entire nitrate ion, while NO3-N specifically refers to the nitrogen component within the ion. 

Learn more from these news reports: KCCI report (video), Des Moines Water Works chemist shows how nitrate tests are conducted (video), How Des Moines Water Works is treating nitrates in the water (article).

Why does it matter?

We can only treat so much water at a time to keep it within recommended standards. If demand stays too high, nitrate levels will go above the recommended maximum. High nitrate levels can carry risks for certain vulnerable groups, such as young infants and pregnant women.

Irrigation of lawns is by far the largest source of increased demand in summer, sometimes doubling the amount of water drawn from the system. To put it into perspective, watering an average sized lawn for 20 minutes each day for a week is comparable to taking 800 showers or letting the shower run continuously for four days. 

How much water is saved through a lawn watering ban?

Lawn watering can consume as much as 40 million gallons per day in the water system. Since the ban went into effect, there has been a more than 30 percent decline in water usage. In Waukee alone, we have seen water demand drop by about 1 million gallons per day.

Why are nitrates harmful?

Water with high nitrate levels exceeding 10 milligrams per liter can cause methemoglobinemia, or blue baby syndrome, in infants under six months of age. Pregnant women should not drink water that exceeds the maximum contaminant level. Contact your healthcare provider or county health department if you have any concerns.

Where do Waukee homes and businesses get their water?

Waukee is a member of Central Iowa Water Works along with City of Ankeny, City of Clive, Des Moines Water Works, City of Grimes, City of Johnston, City of Norwalk, City of Polk City, Urbandale Water Utility, Warren Rural Water District, West Des Moines Water Works and Xenia Rural Water. CIWW is a drinking water production authority that serves more than 600,000 residents and distributes nearly 22 billion gallons of water each year. The water that flows from taps in Waukee comes from several treatment plants within the metro area. 

How are we going to avoid this in the future?

As a water provider in an agricultural state, Central Iowa Water Works’ producing agencies are used to dealing with nitrates. This year is different because the nitrate concentrations are the second highest we have seen. They were last this high in 2013. Since 2013, CIWW’s agencies have looked at additional water sources for treatment, but water was unavailable in multiple locations along the Des Moines River for new wells. An expansion at the Saylorville Water Treatment Plant is currently underway, as are plans to expand the Grimes Water Treatment Plant and build a new treatment plant in the west. CIWW also is looking into how to increase nitrate removal and treatment capacity at the Fleur Drive Treatment Plant. CIWW hopes that in the future, more water users participate when asked to voluntarily reduce water usage in earlier stages of the Water Shortage Plan, so an irrigation ban is not needed.

Why is this a problem occurring now and never before? Is this a problem because of the creation of CIWW?

No. Nitrate is an annual problem. For more than 30 years, the region’s water providers have been treating for and removing nitrate, as well as building water treatment facilities to treat for it. This year’s concentrations are near record-high (see above) and staying high very consistently, which is creating the water quality issues that are occurring. In 2024, water providers asked the region to hold off on lawn watering and rely on rain. Frequent rains dropped demand, which prevented voluntary restrictions from being put in place.

Tips to Save Water When the Ban is Lifted

People often use more water than they need and can waste gallons of water every day without realizing it. Although water is a natural resource, no city has an infinite supply. Fortunately, there are many ways you can help the community conserve water.

1. Less is more helpful (and can save you money). 

 Lawn watering makes up a large portion of the water consumed in Waukee during the warmer months. Did you know that less frequent watering can make your lawn stronger? According to the Iowa State University Department of Horticulture, most lawns in Iowa need only 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week. Watering deeply, but infrequently, leads to stronger root development and drought resistance than watering briefly every day, so you only need to water an established lawn 1-2 times per week. While your grass may turn dry and brown in dry months, it’s likely not dead. Established lawns survive drought by going dormant to conserve resources, but the grass will turn green again when rain comes.

Tip to measure irrigation: Tuna cans are 1 inch tall. Put an empty can in an area that your sprinkler hits. Turn your sprinkler on and check the can periodically to see how long it takes to get half of an inch of water (usually around 20-30 minutes). That will tell you how many minutes you need to water once or twice a week. Test different spots to see if you have even coverage for your yard.

When you do water, choose early mornings or evenings. The best time to water your lawn is between 6 and 9 a.m. Don’t water between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. when you lose more water to evaporation. This is also a good time to avoid other water-heavy activities, such as washing your car or filling a swimming pool.

Whether you use a hose or an automated sprinkler system at your home or business, follow the odd-even schedule to help our community manage the water supply:

• Everyone should skip watering on Mondays and avoid watering lawns or gardens during the hottest part of the day: between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.
• Even-numbered addresses are encouraged to only water on Sundays, Wednesdays and/or Fridays
• Odd-numbered addresses are encouraged to only water on Tuesdays, Thursdays and/or Saturdays

2. Check your automatic sprinkler.

Stay on top of regular maintenance to check for leaks or broken parts that can quickly waste a large amount of water. 

Make sure sprinkler settings follow the odd-even irrigation schedule and run in the early morning. Monitor the weather in your area, so you can turn off your sprinklers when it rains or adjust the time your sprinklers run depending on how much rain your lawn has received in a week period. You can also add a rain or soil moisture sensor to help avoid overwatering your yard.

3. Give water new life.

Don’t let leftover water go to waste. Instead of dumping unused water down the drain, empty your water glass on your plants or put that extra ice in your dog’s water bowl. Outside, capture rainwater in a rain barrel, so you can use it later to water your garden. The City of Waukee has a Stormwater Grant Program that can reimburse a portion of expenses for rain barrels or other qualifying stormwater management projects. Learn more and apply at Waukee.org/StormwaterGrant.

4. Stay leak-free.

Check outdoor faucets, sprinklers, hoses and pools for leaks. Even a small leak can waste thousands of gallons of water over time. The Environmental Protection Agency says families can waste up to 9,400 gallons of water annually from leaks alone. Check for leaks inside too. A running toilet or dripping kitchen faucet can waste water and increase your utility bill. 

5. Protect your pool water.

Whether you have a small kiddie pool or a large in-ground oasis, evaporation steals your water. If possible, cover your pool when you are not using it. Without a cover, more than half of a pool’s water can evaporate in one year. Another pro tip—choose a lower water level, which saves water when filling your pool and prevents water loss from splashing.

City Efforts to Use Water Wisely

The City uses sustainability practices to routinely conserve water and improve stormwater quality. The Fox Creek Splash Pad has a recirculation system that treats and reuses water, which saves thousands of gallons. Sugar Creek Golf Course, some City parks and NW High School athletic facilities are irrigated from retention ponds, which does not impact the city’s potable water supply.

When we experience drought, the City can activate additional conservation practices to minimize high-use activities, such as suspending the hydrant flushing program except for water quality purposes and reducing irrigation at City parks that use potable water as a source.

Why Do Smart Water Practices Matter to Our Community?

It is important for Waukee to have enough water available in our water tower to respond to emergencies, such as a major fire, and to ensure everyone has adequate access to drinking water. If water use outpaces supply, particularly during droughts, the City of Waukee may activate the Water Conservation Plan. The plan’s four stages direct progressive steps to reduce water usage and avoid straining the water system. In the most extreme circumstances, high water usage could lead to mandatory cuts of outdoor water use throughout the city.

As Waukee continues to grow, the Mayor, City Council and staff members are actively researching and planning for strategies to add additional water capacity. In recent years, the City added a special underground well to store water during low-use months to help us through the driest weeks, and our new, larger water tower is operating. But protecting our water supply is a community effort. If Waukee residents and businesses collectively adopt thoughtful habits, Waukee can stay hydrated all summer long!