vlog EIGHT NEWS AT SIX CENTRAL IOWA WATER WORKS IS GIVING US AN INSIDE LOOK AT HOW THE WATER COMING THROUGH ITS TREATMENT FACILITIES IS TESTED FOR NITRATES. THEY SAY THEIR MACHINES ARE ACCURATE DOWN TO THE 1/100 MILLIGRAM PER LITER. vlog BEAU BOWMAN SHOWS US HOW IT’S TESTED AND HOW IT’S TREATED. BO. STACY I’M DOWN AT THE FLEUR DRIVE TREATMENT FACILITY JUST SOUTHWEST OF DOWNTOWN, AND THIS IS WHERE THEIR LABORATORY IS, WHERE THEY TEST THOSE NITRATE LEVELS. AND THEY SAY THEIR MACHINES ARE THE GOLD STANDARD. AND IF THEY SAY THE WATER IS SAFE TO DRINK, IT IS. SO THIS IS THE RACCOON RIVER TODAY. EACH MORNING, CHEMISTS AT THE CENTRAL IOWA WATER WORKS LABORATORY, LIKE LISA MORAN, GET SAMPLES FROM THE DES MOINES AND RACCOON RIVERS. THEY USE A SYRINGE AND MOVE THE WATERS INTO TEST TUBES. AND THEN WE’RE ABLE TO TAKE THAT SAMPLE BACK TO OUR INSTRUMENT. THIS MACHINE IS WHAT SCANS THE WATER AND GIVES THEM A RESULT. IT CAN MEASURE NITRATE TO 1/100 OF A MILLIGRAM PER LITER. THAT’S A VERY, VERY FINE ACCURACY. FROM THERE, THEY’RE ABLE TO ASSESS THE SAFETY OF THE DRINKING WATER MOVING THROUGH CENTRAL IOWA’S PIPES AND DETERMINE HOW MUCH OF THE NITRATE THEY NEED TO REMOVE. USING THESE TANKS, AT ONE TIME, IT WAS THE LARGEST IN THE WORLD. THESE TANKS AND THE RESIN INSIDE THEM CAN REMOVE NITRATES FROM ABOUT 10 MILLION GALLONS OF WATER PER DAY, A FRACTION OF THE DAILY DEMAND, BUT ENOUGH TO BLEND IN TO REDUCE TOTAL NITRATE LEVELS TO EPA STANDARDS. AFTER THE WATERING BAN REDUCED THE DEMAND BY 30%. AND SINCE WE’VE DONE THAT, WE’VE HAD EXCELLENT COOPERATION FROM OUR CUSTOMERS AND WE’VE SEEN OUR DEMAND REDUCE GREATLY TO MAKE IT SO THAT WE ARE COMPLETELY ABLE TO MEET THAT 10 MILLIGRAM/L STANDARD AND KEEP EVERYONE SAFE AND HEALTHY. LOOKING AHEAD, THE CHEMISTS ARE KEEPING AN EYE ON THE WEATHER FORECAST. MARIN SAYS HEAVY RAINFALLS INITIALLY DROPPED NITRATE LEVELS, BUT SHORTLY AFTER SPIKE AFTER RUNOFF FLOWS DOWNSTREAM. IF WE HAVE CONTINUED RAIN OVER SOME TIME, IF WE GET AN INCH OF RAIN, YOU KNOW, EVERY WEEK THAT’S GOING TO CONTINUE WASHING MORE OFTEN, WE’LL CONTINUE TO SEE MORE MOVING THROUGH THE RIVER. SO THAT COULD PROLONG THIS. BUT YEAH, THERE’S AN INITIAL DECREASE AND THEN IT TENDS TO BUMP BACK UP WITH RAINFALL MOVING THROUGH. AND WHEN MIRANDA SAID THERE THAT THE RAIN COULD PROLONG THAT SHE SPECIFICALLY TALKING ABOUT THE LAWN WATERING BAN THAT THAT COULD BE IN EFFECT FOR SOME TIME. BUT WE DID ASK THEM IF THEY BELIEVED IT WOULD EVER COME TO A POINT WHERE THAT DRINKING WATER WOULD BE UNSAFE. EXECUTIVE. DIRECTOR TAMMY MADSEN SAID NO. WE’RE LIVE IN DES MOINES, BEAU BOWMAN vlog EIGHT NEWS. IOWA’S NEWS LEADER. AND INSIGHT LIKE THAT. BO SO IMPORTANT FOR FOLKS SO THEY CAN REALLY UNDERSTAND T
Inside Central Iowa Water Works' testing laboratory
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Updated: 7:34 PM CDT Jun 24, 2025
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Central Iowa Water Works is providing a behind-the-scenes look at how it tests and treats water for nitrates at its facilities, ensuring the safety of drinking water for the region. Its advanced equipment can measure nitrate levels down to a hundredth of a milligram per liter.Each morning, chemists at the Central Iowa Water Works Laboratory collect water samples from the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers. Using syringes, they transfer the water into test tubes for analysis. "Then we're able to take that sample back to our instrument," chemist Lisa Morarend explained. The machine scans the water and provides nitrate measurements. "It can measure nitrate to one one-hundredth of a milligram per liter — that's a very, very fine accuracy," she added.Once the nitrate levels are determined, the team assesses how much needs to be removed. The facility's tanks, which were once the largest in the world, can treat about 10 million gallons of water per day. While this is only a fraction of the daily demand, the treated water is blended to meet Environmental Protection Agency standards. A recent lawn watering ban has reduced water demand by 30%, allowing the facility to maintain safe nitrate levels. "Since we've done that, we've had excellent cooperation from our customers. And we've seen our demand reduce greatly to make it so we are completely able to meet that 10 mg/L standard to keep everyone safe and healthy," Morarend said.Looking ahead, the chemists are closely monitoring weather patterns. Heavy rainfall initially lowers nitrate levels but can cause spikes as runoff flows downstream. "If we have continued rain over some time, if we get an inch of rain, you know, every week, that's going to continue washing more off, and we'll continue to see more moving through the river. So that could prolong this," Morarend noted.When asked if they believed they would ever get to a point where the drinking water would be unsafe, Executive Director Tami Madsen said no.Recent coverage of central Iowa water issuesCentral Iowa officials ban lawn watering to avoid potential 'water crisis'What are nitrates in drinking water and why Iowa officials are watching closelyLIST: Which Iowans are included in the ban on lawn watering?Des Moines shuts down spraygrounds as central Iowa cities work to conserve waterClive residents respond to lawn watering ban amid high nitrate levelsCentral Iowa landscaping businesses adapt to lawn watering banLawn watering ban still in place for more than 600,000 central Iowans; water usage drops by 30%Des Moines Water Works CEO links nitrate issue to farm fertilizers Communities can reopen splash pads and spraygrounds, Central Iowa Water Works says Get the Facts: How much water do West Des Moines data centers actually use?Splash pads turn back on one week later after new guidance from CIWWCentral Iowa water officials squash rumors that drinking water is unsafeCentral Iowa water quality experts say at-home nitrate test kits are unreliableMore Iowans considering at-home water treatment systems amid water quality concernsvlog Investigates: Water demand shot up day before lawn watering ban began, data shows This week's rain doesn't help high nitrate levels and the watering ban. Here's why.Answers to frequently asked questions about Iowa water quality, nitrates, testing and more
DES MOINES, Iowa — Central Iowa Water Works is providing a behind-the-scenes look at how it tests and treats water for nitrates at its facilities, ensuring the safety of drinking water for the region. Its advanced equipment can measure nitrate levels down to a hundredth of a milligram per liter.
Each morning, chemists at the Central Iowa Water Works Laboratory collect water samples from the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers. Using syringes, they transfer the water into test tubes for analysis.
"Then we're able to take that sample back to our instrument," chemist Lisa Morarend explained. The machine scans the water and provides nitrate measurements. "It can measure nitrate to one one-hundredth of a milligram per liter — that's a very, very fine accuracy," she added.
Once the nitrate levels are determined, the team assesses how much needs to be removed. The facility's tanks, which were once the largest in the world, can treat about 10 million gallons of water per day. While this is only a fraction of the daily demand, the treated water is blended to meet Environmental Protection Agency standards.
A recent lawn watering ban has reduced water demand by 30%, allowing the facility to maintain safe nitrate levels.
"Since we've done that, we've had excellent cooperation from our customers. And we've seen our demand reduce greatly to make it so we are completely able to meet that 10 mg/L standard to keep everyone safe and healthy," Morarend said.
Looking ahead, the chemists are closely monitoring weather patterns. Heavy rainfall initially lowers nitrate levels but can cause spikes as runoff flows downstream. "If we have continued rain over some time, if we get an inch of rain, you know, every week, that's going to continue washing more off, and we'll continue to see more moving through the river. So that could prolong this," Morarend noted.
When asked if they believed they would ever get to a point where the drinking water would be unsafe, Executive Director Tami Madsen said no.
Recent coverage of central Iowa water issues
