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Central Iowa Water Works' nitrate removal facility is a key tool for keeping drinking water safe, especially with the lawn-watering ban started June 12 due to high levels of nitrate in the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers.June 30 marks the 63rd straight day the nitrate removal system has been in operation.Those two rivers are the main sources of drinking water for 600,000 customers in Central Iowa.When nitrate levels run high in the rivers, the facility gets put into use.����vlog Investigates asked for the number of days the facility has run in previous years. According to data from Central Iowa Water Works, here are the total number of days the facility was run and the cost for that year:2013: 76, $317,6952014: 28, $97,4402015: 177, $753,5882016: 65, $307,1352017: 24, $75,2402018: 3, $9,8102019: 9, $69,5422020-2021: Zero2022: 23, $150,0002023: Zero2024: 68, $624,690The total operating cost from 2013 through 2024: $2.4 million. If you add in maintenance, insurance and other costs, the 12-year total is $5.5 million.The facility has run a total of 72 days so far in 2025. It ran April 10-18 and then restarted April 28. It does not always run at full capacity. 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 concerns����vlog 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 moreInside Central Iowa Water Works' testing laboratoryStudy of births in Iowa finds potential prenatal risk linked to nitrates in drinking waterSource water nitrate levels still elevated, but are improving, Central Iowa Water Works saysPolk County supervisor speaks on new water quality report and its findingsPolk County water report pins unhealthy rivers on ag pollution