Marion sets record for May water consumption

MARION — The impacts of coping with Iowa’s drought is starting to be seen on lawns.

The Marion Water Department set a record for the amount of water pumped in May, with nearly 111 million gallons. The average water use in May for Marion is 94 million gallons. The last time May’s record for water use was broken was in 2012, with over 108 million gallons of water pumped.

Todd Steigerwaldt, general manager of the Marion Water Department, said the main contributing factor is the lack of rain in Iowa. According to the latest Iowa drought monitor, released June 22, over 99 percent of Iowa is at least abnormally dry, and 83 percent is in some level of drought. Linn and Johnson counties, and the areas around them, were in moderate drought.

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The drought leads individuals to water their yards and gardens — and incur higher water bills as a result.

“If you want a green yard, it's going to come out of your green wallet,” Steigerwaldt said.

In response to the demand, the Marion Water Department turned on one of the offline wells as a backup. While Steigerwaldt said there is enough water for the community as of now — with a citywide monthly capacity of 130 gallons — the department is being “mindful of it.”

Neither Iowa City nor Cedar Rapids reported abnormal levels, saying the water usage in those cities is typical for this time of year.

Conservation efforts

The Marion Water Department has been encouraging residents to implement water conservation techniques.

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“Water is expensive. It's a valuable resource. We want to keep those water rates affordable for everyone,” Steigerwaldt said. “If we stress the system, we need to look at additional wells.”

These various conservation strategies residents should use include:

Marion already embarked on a capital project for an additional well, costing about $250,000, according to Steigerwaldt. He said this project came in response to anticipated growth. According to the Census Bureau, Marion’s July 2022 population was estimated at 41,864 — a growth of over 300 people since the 2020 census.

“We're trying to stay ahead of development and prepare for the future,” Steigerwaldt said.

He also explained that as the summer progresses into the drier months, individuals tend to become less inclined to keep up with watering their lawns. Whether that’s a lack of motivation to try to keep up or an interest in decreasing water bills, the change in attitude can decrease the number of gallons pumped.

“People see the effect of watering and trying to keep the grass green, and they may change their mind,” Steigerwaldt said.

In the “extreme scenario” that Marion has not reached, the city has a plan in place that was devised during the 2012 dry season. Steigerwaldt said Cedar Rapids has the same policy that is enacted to enforce water conservation efforts based on what drought level the city is at.

According to the policy on the city of Cedar Rapids website, if a city reaches 75 percent of well capacity, mandatory restrictions are set in place. The plan also involves limiting what days individuals are able to water their lawns and prohibiting sprinkler systems, among other restrictions, if well capacity reaches 85 percent.

Water consumption in Iowa

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Tim Hall, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ hydrology resources coordinator, said that according to the Iowa Drought Plan that went into effect at the beginning of the year, Iowa is currently in a “drought watch,” meaning conditions are extremely dry.

Hall described the water supply as a savings account, where you cannot take out more than you put in. He said the past few years have been dry for Iowa, meaning that the state has not been able to build a deep reserve to constantly pull from.

“Right now, the supply side of the hydrology is pretty stressed,” Hall said. “We're not getting much rain. We're getting a fairly decent amount of evaporation, so there's not a lot of moisture going into the system.”

Hall said several cities in Western Iowa have implemented voluntary restrictions, including limiting yard care and not filling up swimming pools.

While the drought does play a role in increased use, Hall explained temperature is a major influence, too. He said while temperatures have been warm, they haven’t exceeded a threshold to majorly influence water use.

According to a statement from the Cedar Rapids Utilities Director Roy Hesemann, Cedar Rapids is within normal levels of water use for a typical hot and dry summer.

“At this point, we have an adequate supply to meet our demand and will continue to monitor water usage,” the statement reads.

According to both Hesemann and Hall, a major driver of city-to-city fluctuations of water use is industry. Hesemann said high daily demand from industry keeps demands and levels “relatively stable.”

Hall explained that in “bedroom communities” dominated by residential spaces, water demands are comparatively lower and subject to more changes based on drought levels and temperature. Because individual water use makes up less of the total water use in industrial cities — including Cedar Rapids — extra water used to tend to lawns doesn’t make as much of an impact.

Michael Willis, the assistant superintendent of the Iowa City Water Division, said Iowa City’s water consumption also has been average compared with previous years.

Willis explained that over consumption is one area can influence another. He said pumping too much water can lower the levels of rivers and streams to the point where they run dry. He also said if upstream communities consume too much water, areas downstream are left without.

“Water is very important,” Willis said. “Efforts should be made to conserve this resource that we all need.”

Comments: jami.martin-trainor@thegazette.com