Mitchellville residents asked to conserve water; elementary school closed again Thursday
An answer to Mitchellville’s request for people living and working in town to conserve water rolled into town Wednesday afternoon. The Hy-Vee semi-truck came to town with a major donation aimed at easing the city’s water strain. The truck delivered a trailer full of bottled water — about 46,000 pounds of drinking water — for residents, with supplies staged at the community center so people could pick up their water easily.Organizers said the goal is broad access. “We want to make sure that we can get it out to all the people,” said Nedra Hoover, the community center’s secretary.Hoover said the bottled water does more than help families stay stocked — it also supports the city’s conservation effort. She said the more residents rely on bottled water, the fewer times they need to turn on the tap, reducing demand on the system.“If we can do anything to help out our wells and our water tower, it’s great to be able to donate some water for us,” Hoover said.City officials say the conservation request stems from a mechanical problem, not a safety issue, and called it a quantity issue, not a quality issue. In a statement released Wednesday afternoon, Mitchellville said the pump on Well 3 failed Tuesday evening and that staff coordinated emergency pump service and adjusted operations while repairs are pending.Mitchellville Elementary was closed on Wednesday and is again on Thursday, a move city officials requested “to help reduce overall system demand.”The water conservation notice remains in effect. We are also recommending that school be closed tomorrow to help reduce overall system demand.The city emphasized that residents’ water remains safe, saying there is “no issue with the quality of water being distributed” and that the challenge is “mechanical and production capacity,” not contamination. One resident said she hopes the fix ends the community’s water worries; otherwise, she favors a long-term solution. “Hook us up with some good water” from Des Moines, said Beverly Pearson.
An answer to Mitchellville’s request for people living and working in town to conserve water rolled into town Wednesday afternoon.
The Hy-Vee semi-truck came to town with a major donation aimed at easing the city’s water strain. The truck delivered a trailer full of bottled water — about 46,000 pounds of drinking water — for residents, with supplies staged at the community center so people could pick up their water easily.
Organizers said the goal is broad access. “We want to make sure that we can get it out to all the people,” said Nedra Hoover, the community center’s secretary.
Hoover said the bottled water does more than help families stay stocked — it also supports the city’s conservation effort.
She said the more residents rely on bottled water, the fewer times they need to turn on the tap, reducing demand on the system.
“If we can do anything to help out our wells and our water tower, it’s great to be able to donate some water for us,” Hoover said.
City officials say the conservation request stems from a mechanical problem, not a safety issue, and called it a quantity issue, not a quality issue.
In a statement released Wednesday afternoon, Mitchellville said the pump on Well 3 failed Tuesday evening and that staff coordinated emergency pump service and adjusted operations while repairs are pending.
Mitchellville Elementary was closed on Wednesday and is again on Thursday, a move city officials requested “to help reduce overall system demand.”
The water conservation notice remains in effect. We are also recommending that school be closed tomorrow to help reduce overall system demand.
The city emphasized that residents’ water remains safe, saying there is “no issue with the quality of water being distributed” and that the challenge is “mechanical and production capacity,” not contamination.
One resident said she hopes the fix ends the community’s water worries; otherwise, she favors a long-term solution. “Hook us up with some good water” from Des Moines, said Beverly Pearson.