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(Des Moines, IA) -- Des Moines residents are being asked to cut lawn watering by 25-%. Des Moines Water Works CEO Ted Corrigan says demand last week spiked to 90-percent of capacity and he's concerned it'll be just as high this week, because of the hot, dry forecast.
He suggests homeowners limit the area of the lawn that's getting water and reduce the amount of sprinkler time. Des Moines Water Works also wants residents to skip watering on Mondays and water on an odd-even schedule, based on their street address. Residents are also asked to avoid watering during the heat of the day.
On Friday, June 11, Des Moines Water Works delivered almost 90 million gallons of water to its 500,000 customers.
“This remains a very fluid situation that changes daily depending upon river levels and customer demand,” said Ted Corrigan, chief executive officer and general manager of Des Moines Water Works. “We have taken proactive steps to ensure we have enough water for customers, but the Raccoon River is low enough that you can walk across it. Now, we are asking our customers to do their part and use water wisely.”
West Des Moines Water Works is also asking homeowners reduce lawn irrigation by 25-percent.
"The majority of West Des Moines water comes from deep and shallow wells, which are largely unaffected by short-term drought conditions and water-quality issues that can plague surface water,” explained Christina Murphy, general manager of West Des Moines Water Works. “Though we typically purchase approximately 30% of our water from DMWW, when temperatures spike this early in the summer after a drought the previous year we need to work together to protect our water resources. Reducing usage at this time will help everyone.”