Officials in a northwest Iowa city are asking residents to limit their use of water in yards and gardens. Amanda Gloyd, a spokeswoman for Spencer Municipal Utilities, says it’s not due to a lack of water.
“With construction continuing on our water treatment facility, we are implementing a water restriction for our customers, starting today,” she says.
Spencer’s water utility is using an alternative system to treat water until construction on the new plant is done this fall. There have been complaints about discolored water coming from the taps in some areas of Spencer. Officials say limiting the volume of water in the system will help reduce that discoloration.
Spencer residents with addresses that end in an even number are asked to water on even-numbered days of the week, while those with odd-numbered addresses are asked to do outside watering on odd-numbered days. Outside watering is to be done overnight as well.
“On the days that customers may water, it can be done after 10 p.m. and before 4 a.m.,” she says. “The other things that they could do is to not waste water by letting it spray on concrete or asphalt, repairing leaky sprinkler systems, not watering when it’s raining or during high winds and, of course, using a hose nozzle that will help in shutting off that water as well.”
The city has been dealing with complaints about discolored water for a few months. Officials with Spencer’s water utility and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources held a news conference in Spencer in January to reassure the public that Spencer’s water was safe to drink. Julie Sievers, an environmental specialist with the DNR, says tests show there have been no changes in lead or copper levels in Spencer’s water since 1993.
(Reporting by Ryan Long, KICD, Spencer)