Van Meter enforces lawn watering ban due to water shortage
CHAIR OF THE BOARD. BACK HERE IN IOWA, A NEW LAWN WATERING BAN IN VANMETER COULD LAST FOR A WHILE. LEADERS SAY A LACK OF RAIN IS CAUSING THE CITY TO RUN LOW ON WATER. KCCI SENIOR REPORTER TODD MAGEL SHOWS US HOW THAT’S AFFECTING HOMEOWNERS. IT’S BEEN RAINING HERE IN VAN METER FOR MUCH OF THE DAY, AND THAT IS GOOD NEWS BECAUSE THE CITY IS SHORT ON WATER. MIKE BENTON SAYS HE CAN’T WATER HIS PLANTS, SO IT MAY BE TIME TO PULL THEM OUT AND GET READY FOR WINTER. HE SAYS HE’S LIVED IN VAN METER FOR 30 YEARS AND HAS NEVER HAD TO DEAL WITH A BAN ON IRRIGATION. I THOUGHT THERE’S NO WAY THAT COULD BE WITH ALL THE RAIN AND WATER WE’VE HAD. I MEAN, WE’VE HAD PLENTY OF IT, BUT THEY’RE THINKING MAYBE THEY GOT A LEAK SOMEWHERE AND HOPEFULLY IT AIN’T ON MY WATER BILL. IT’S NOT A VERY POPULAR DECISION, BUT IT WAS. IT WAS AN EMERGENCY DECISION. PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR DREW MCCOMB SAYS IT’S ALL ABOUT SUPPLY AND DEMAND. DRY WEATHER IN AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER CAUSED TOO MUCH DEMAND ON THE CITY’S WATER SUPPLY. PRETTY MUCH ZERO RAIN FOR THE LAST, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE OVER A MONTH AND A HALF. AND THAT CAUSES JUST A HUGE UPTICK IN IRRIGATION USE. YARD IRRIGATION DOUBLED, SO THE CITY HAD TO POST SIGNS ASKING HOMEOWNERS TO STOP. THERE’S A FINE OF $750 IF THEY DON’T. NOW, VAN METER IS SAVING MORE THAN 120,000 GALLONS A DAY. THAT WILL GIVE THEM TIME TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DEAL WITH THE IRRIGATION ISSUE. BUILDING MORE WATER STORAGE IS ONE OPTION. WE EITHER HAVE TO DO THIS OR POTENTIALLY RISK, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC SAFETY. WE ALSO ASKED MCCOMBS ABOUT WHAT A WATER SHORTAGE COULD MEAN FOR A FUTURE MICROSOFT DATA CENTER PLAN FOR VAN METER. CURRENT DATA CENTERS LIKE THIS ONE IN WEST DES MOINES USE HUGE AMOUNTS OF FRESH WATER TO KEEP SERVERS COOL. MICROSOFT SAYS THEIR NEW DATA CENTERS NO LONGER USE WATER TO COOL. GOOD NEWS FOR VAN METER. THEY’RE BUILDING IN PLACES LIKE ARIZONA, NEVADA. YOU KNOW, WHERE THERE JUST IS NO WATER FOR THEM. SO THEY’VE HAD TO SWITCH GEARS AND HAVE DIFFERENT TECHNOLOGY. THE IRRIGATION BAN COULD LAST FOR MORE THAN A WEEK. IT ALL DEPENDS ON HOW QUICKLY CITY LEADERS COME UP WITH A SOLUTION IN VAN METER. TO
Van Meter enforces lawn watering ban due to water shortage
Due to dry weather in August and September, the city is facing a water shortage. Van Meter has imposed a lawn watering ban with fines for noncompliance and plans to address the issue.Mike Benton, a resident of Van Meter for 30 years, expressed surprise at the ban, saying, “I thought there’s no way that could be with all the rain and water we’ve had. I mean, we’ve had plenty of it, but they’re thinking maybe they got leak somewhere and hopefully it ain’t on my water bill.”Public Works Director Drew McCombs explained the decision, stating, “It’s not a very popular decision, but it was, it was an emergency decision.” He noted that the city experienced “pretty much zero rain for the last, you know, a little over a month and a half. And that causes just a huge uptick in irrigation use.”The city has posted signs asking homeowners to stop yard irrigation, with a $750 fine for noncompliance after a warning. This measure has helped Van Meter save more than 120,000 gallons of water daily, providing time to explore solutions such as building more water storage.McCombs emphasized the importance of the ban, saying, “We either have to do this or potentially risk, you know, public safety.”Regarding the future Microsoft data center planned for Van Meter, McCombs noted that current data centers use large amounts of water to cool servers. However, Microsoft has adapted its technology, as McCombs explained, “They’re building in places like Arizona, Nevada, you know, where there just is no water for them. So they’ve had to switch gears and have different technology.”The irrigation ban could last for weeks, depending on how quickly the city can find a solution.» Subscribe to KCCI’s YouTube page» Download the free KCCI app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play
Due to dry weather in August and September, the city is facing a water shortage. Van Meter has imposed a lawn watering ban with fines for noncompliance and plans to address the issue.
Mike Benton, a resident of Van Meter for 30 years, expressed surprise at the ban, saying, “I thought there’s no way that could be with all the rain and water we’ve had. I mean, we’ve had plenty of it, but they’re thinking maybe they got leak somewhere and hopefully it ain’t on my water bill.”
Public Works Director Drew McCombs explained the decision, stating, “It’s not a very popular decision, but it was, it was an emergency decision.” He noted that the city experienced “pretty much zero rain for the last, you know, a little over a month and a half. And that causes just a huge uptick in irrigation use.”
The city has posted signs asking homeowners to stop yard irrigation, with a $750 fine for noncompliance after a warning. This measure has helped Van Meter save more than 120,000 gallons of water daily, providing time to explore solutions such as building more water storage.
McCombs emphasized the importance of the ban, saying, “We either have to do this or potentially risk, you know, public safety.”
Regarding the future Microsoft data center planned for Van Meter, McCombs noted that current data centers use large amounts of water to cool servers. However, Microsoft has adapted its technology, as McCombs explained, “They’re building in places like Arizona, Nevada, you know, where there just is no water for them. So they’ve had to switch gears and have different technology.”
The irrigation ban could last for weeks, depending on how quickly the city can find a solution.
» Subscribe to KCCI’s YouTube page
» Download the free KCCI app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play