Life’s returning to normal in the southeast Iowa town of Ottumwa after the water works had to shut down last week following an intense rainstorm. Ottumwans are being encouraged to use water with moderation this week as the city water works gets back into regular operations and returns to full capacity.
The boil order for Ottumwa was lifted Sunday after state officials confirmed that eight samples taken from around the city Saturday all tested negative for bacterial contaminations. The water’s now safe for all purposes, including human consumption. All restaurants are open again now, after being forced to close Friday when the water supply was shut off.