Recent News

6/14/2025 Level RED Press Release

June 14, 2025

Drinking Water Advisory

Level RED Press Release

      Regional Water announced today, June 14^th, that it has again implemented the “Level RED” advisory for the customers and communities on their ATP System. This is due to the continued drought and sustained water usage level that is higher than their ability to produce water from their wellfield. Level RED is the highest level of Mandatory Water Use Restrictions of its Emergency Water Conservation Plan.

      General Manager Tom Kallman stated “Between the warm temperatures and the continued lack of rain, we can’t meet the current demand, and it is endangering our tower levels. Declaring Level RED is to protect the remaining supply of drinking water and prevent the need to have to issue another boil advisory. The priority of use is for human consumption, personal hygiene, and cooking.”

       The pipeline project from Council Bluffs and temporary booster station are nearly complete, but are not expected to be operational for another 7-10 days. “When completed, we expect that they will increase the water supply by nearly 25%. That will be a huge help to the system,” said Kallman.

      The “Level RED” restrictions only affect the Avoca Treatment Plant System, which includes members and customers of the Association in Shelby, Audubon, Cass, Harrison, and Northern Pottawattamie Counties. Included are the communities of Avoca, Persia, Panama, Portsmouth, Westphalia, Kirkman, Tennant, Earling, Exira, and Brayton. 

      Why This Is Happening:

• Drought conditions have persisted with below-average rainfall.
• Water sources are operating at less than 60% capacity.
• Demand has exceeded sustainable supply levels, especially during peak usage periods.

      Mandatory Water Use Restrictions:

Effective immediately, the following restrictions are in place:

1. No outdoor watering of lawns, gardens, or landscapes.
2. No washing of vehicles, driveways, sidewalks, or buildings.
3. No filling or refilling of swimming pools, hot tubs, or ornamental fountains.
4. Restaurants may only serve water upon request.
5. Lodging facilities must offer guests the option to reuse linens and towels.
6. All leaks must be repaired within 48 hours of detection.
7. Water use for construction purposes is restricted to essential activities only.

      Enforcement:

• Water usage will be monitored.
• Violations may result in fines or service restrictions.

      How You Can Help:

• Take shorter showers and turn off the tap while brushing teeth.
• Run dishwashers and washing machines only with full loads.
• Use water-efficient fixtures and appliances.

Note: Municipal and community events should strongly consider the use of portable latrines for events.

For more information, please contact the Regional Water Office at 712-343-2413.

6/14/2025 Level RED Press Release

June 14, 2025

Drinking Water Advisory

Level RED Press Release

      Regional Water announced today, June 14^th, that it has again implemented the “Level RED” advisory for the customers and communities on their ATP System. This is due to the continued drought and sustained water usage level that is higher than their ability to produce water from their wellfield. Level RED is the highest level of Mandatory Water Use Restrictions of its Emergency Water Conservation Plan.

      General Manager Tom Kallman stated “Between the warm temperatures and the continued lack of rain, we can’t meet the current demand, and it is endangering our tower levels. Declaring Level RED is to protect the remaining supply of drinking water and prevent the need to have to issue another boil advisory. The priority of use is for human consumption, personal hygiene, and cooking.”

       The pipeline project from Council Bluffs and temporary booster station are nearly complete, but are not expected to be operational for another 7-10 days. “When completed, we expect that they will increase the water supply by nearly 25%. That will be a huge help to the system,” said Kallman.

      The “Level RED” restrictions only affect the Avoca Treatment Plant System, which includes members and customers of the Association in Shelby, Audubon, Cass, Harrison, and Northern Pottawattamie Counties. Included are the communities of Avoca, Persia, Panama, Portsmouth, Westphalia, Kirkman, Tennant, Earling, Exira, and Brayton. 

      Why This Is Happening:

• Drought conditions have persisted with below-average rainfall.
• Water sources are operating at less than 60% capacity.
• Demand has exceeded sustainable supply levels, especially during peak usage periods.

      Mandatory Water Use Restrictions:

Effective immediately, the following restrictions are in place:

1. No outdoor watering of lawns, gardens, or landscapes.
2. No washing of vehicles, driveways, sidewalks, or buildings.
3. No filling or refilling of swimming pools, hot tubs, or ornamental fountains.
4. Restaurants may only serve water upon request.
5. Lodging facilities must offer guests the option to reuse linens and towels.
6. All leaks must be repaired within 48 hours of detection.
7. Water use for construction purposes is restricted to essential activities only.

      Enforcement:

• Water usage will be monitored.
• Violations may result in fines or service restrictions.

      How You Can Help:

• Take shorter showers and turn off the tap while brushing teeth.
• Run dishwashers and washing machines only with full loads.
• Use water-efficient fixtures and appliances.

Note: Municipal and community events should strongly consider the use of portable latrines for events.

For more information, please contact the Regional Water Office at 712-343-2413.

6/13/2025 ATP System Update

June 13, 2025

Regional Water System Update – June 13, 2025

1. All towers were lower this morning, Friday June 13th, than they have been all week. As we head into a warm, sunny weekend, please continue to monitor water use. Currently, we are in a Yellow Conservation Notice. However, if the levels in the water towers get too low, Regional Water will shift to a Red Conservation Notice so as to avoid going back into a boil advisory. When we can keep water in the towers and keep the pressure in the system about 20 PSI, we do not have to initiate boil advisory measures. Thank you for your continued help with monitoring your water use. 
2. We are pumping around the clock at 740 gpm from the plant with all wells on, including our backup wells.This is just over 1 million gallons per day, which is our average usage for this time of year. For comparison, we were able to pump 850 gpm from the wellfield last year, which gave us that same 1 million gallons in just 19 hours, 36 minutes. 
3. The creek along Highway 6 needs to be bored again due to unanticipated soil conditions. Once complete, Regional Water will continue moving forward with conducting required pressure testing and collecting samples to ensure there is no bacteria. Once the pressure testing passes and bacteria sampling results come back negative, the next step is to turn the temporary pump station on. Turning the pump station on will include the chemical feed into the system. This allows the appropriate chlorine levels into the system to ensure the water is safe to drink. All crews are working as diligently as possible to get the temporary booster station online. 
4. Reminder: In an effort to provide additional methods to communicate with customers and communities served by Regional Water, we have partnered with the Pottawattamie County GIS Department and other stakeholders to develop and provide an online dashboard that will provide up-to-date tower status and service area information. The community can access the dashboard on the RWRWA website and various websites of the county and municipal government entities within the Regional Water service areas. Go to https://rwrwa.org/operations-status-dashboard-2
5. Also, here are some links about drought in Iowa:  
   • News from KIMT: https://www.kimt.com/news/iowa/u-s-drought-monitor-says-more-than-80-percent-of-iowa-is-abnormally-dry/article_2bb2b4a0-c65a-445c-bb43-fbb742973966.html
   • Nationwide Drought Monitor: https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?IA
   • State Climatologist: https://iowaagriculture.gov/climatology-bureau

Panama Boil Advisory Lifted - Operations Status Dashboard Released

June 06, 2025

Regional Water Drinking Water Boil Advisory Lifted for Panama, Entire System Now Out of Boil Advisory; Level Yellow Water Use Restrictions Continue; Release of Operations Status Dashboard

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 6, 2025

The Regional Water Rural Water Association announced that the Boil Advisory, which went into effect on May 14, 2025, has been lifted effective immediately for the town of Panama. This strictly applies to the residents within the city limits of Panama. Regional Water was notified by the certified operator of Panama that they had completed their two sets of bacteria samples, and all samples came back negative for bacteria. As such, the boil advisory is no longer in effect for this town.

The Boil Advisory is no longer in effect for Regional Water’s Avoca Treatment Plant System.

We would again like to thank those who helped deliver sample bottles to the sampling points; who trained parties on how to collect the samples; for running the samples between two laboratories; and to the laboratories who handled the large number of samples coming to their respective facility for analysis.  

Regional Water’s water towers across the system have maintained pressure throughout the last ten days. Customers’ conservation practices and measures have proven helpful in filling the water towers. 

The completion of the temporary booster pump is moving along. The chemical building was delivered Monday morning. Approximately 16.5 of the 18 miles of the new pipe have been pressure tested. Construction crews discovered a leak under one of the creek crossings along the pipeline route during pressure testing and are working to repair it. Construction crews are working on connecting the pipeline and power throughout this week. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Regional Water hopes the connection between the City of Council Bluffs and Regional Water’s system will be completed the week of June 9th. 

Regional Water would especially like to thank West Central Iowa Rural Water for loaning us the pump trailer for the temporary pump station.

While the water towers are currently in good standing, please continue to be mindful of water conservation and use. Even with the boil advisory being lifted, drought conditions continue to affect Southwest Iowa. Water availability remains a concern until the temporary booster station is in place and running. 

Please note, if water use goes beyond the capacity of the system, the towers could lose pressure again. If the towers lose pressure below 20 PSI, a boil advisory will go into effect again. The connection with the City of Council Bluffs will hopefully prevent overuse from happening. However, until that connection is complete, here are ways to help limit water use:  

1. Avoid watering or irrigation of lawns. 
2. Avoid washing your car, except at commercial establishments that provide that service as their only means of income. In these cases, hours of use will be restricted to 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM.
3. No water shall be used to fill private swimming pools, children’s wading pools, or similar articles.
4. No water shall be used to clean streets, driveways, sidewalks, etc.
5. Large volume water users, including industries, motels, hotels, eating establishments, and livestock confinements are requested to scale back services and/or production.
6. Schools are strongly urged to cancel physical education activities and inter-scholastic competitions that require showers or attract crowds and take other actions to reduce water consumption.

Regional Water wants to thank its customers for their patience and perseverance over the last several months. We know it has not been easy. Please know, Regional Water continues to work closely with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to ensure safe drinking water is delivered to its customers. 

In an effort to provide additional methods to communicate with customers and communities served by Regional Water, we have partnered with the Pottawattamie County GIS Department and other stakeholders to develop and provide an online dashboard that will provide up-to-date tower status and service area information.

The community can access the dashboard on the RWRWA website and various websites of the county and municipal government entities within the Regional Water service areas. Go to https://rwrwa.org/operations-status-dashboard-2

To find information about the Iowa DNR’s Boil Advisory protocol, please visit our website at: https://www.iowadnr.gov/media/5348/download?inline

For more information, please contact the Regional Water Office at 712-343-2413.

Exira & Brayton Boil Advisory Lifted

June 03, 2025

Regional Water Drinking Water Boil Advisory Lifted for Exira and
Brayton, But Remains in Effect for the Towns of Panama, Portsmouth
and Earling; Level Yellow Water Use Restrictions Continue
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 3, 2025
The Regional Water Rural Water Association announced that the Boil Advisory, which
went into effect on May 14, 2025, has been lifted effective immediately for the towns of
Exira and Brayton. This strictly applies to the residents within the city limits of these two
towns. Regional Water was notified by the certified operators of Exira and Brayton that
they had completed their two sets of bacteria samples, and all samples came back
negative for bacteria. As such, the boil advisory is no longer in effect for these towns.
The Boil Advisory remains in effect for those living within the city limits of
Earling, Panama, & Portsmouth while they continue to collect their samples. It is
anticipated that these communities will have sampled, and results analysis completed,
by this Wednesday. As Regional Water receives the results from the other communities,
Regional Water will lift the boil advisory as soon as possible for those towns. 
We would again like to thank those who helped deliver sample bottles to the sampling
points; who trained parties on how to collect the samples; for running the samples
between two laboratories; and to the laboratories who handled the large amount of
samples coming to their respective facility for analysis.  
Regional Water’s water towers across the system have maintained pressure throughout
the last week. Customers’ conservation practices and measures have proven helpful in
filling the water towers. 
The completion of the temporary booster pump was delayed due to wet weather
last week. However, over the last few days the area was dry enough to level the ground,
and bring the temporary pump trailer on-site. The chemical building was delivered on
Monday morning. Approximately 13 of the 18 miles of the new pipe have been pressure
tested. Construction crews are working through the next 5 miles this week. Additionally,
the pipeline and power will be connected throughout this week. Barring any unforeseen
circumstances, Regional Water hopes the connection between the City of Council Bluffs
and Regional Water’s system will be completed on or about June 11th. 
While the water towers are currently in good standing, please continue to be mindful of
water conservation and use. Even with the boil advisory being lifted, drought conditions
continue to affect Southwest Iowa. Water availability remains a concern until the
temporary booster station is in place and running. 

Please note, if water use goes beyond the capacity of the system, the towers could lose
pressure again. If the towers lose pressure below 20 PSI, a boil advisory will go into
effect again. The connection with the City of Council Bluffs will hopefully prevent
overuse from happening. However, until that connection is complete, here are ways
to help limit water use:  
1. Avoid watering or irrigation of lawns. 
2. Avoid washing your car, except at commercial establishments that provide that
service as their only means of income. In these cases, hours of use will be
restricted to 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM.
3. No water shall be used to fill private swimming pools, children’s wading pools, or
similar articles.
4. No water shall be used to clean streets, driveways, sidewalks, etc.
5. Large volume water users, including industries, motels, hotels, eating
establishments, and livestock confinements are requested to scale back services
and/or production.
6. Schools are strongly urged to cancel physical education activities and inter-
scholastic competitions that require showers or attract crowds and take other
actions to reduce water consumption.
Regional Water wants to thank its customers for their patience and perseverance
through the last several months. We know it has not been easy. Please know, Regional
Water continues to work closely with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to
ensure safe drinking water is delivered to its customers. 
To find information about the Iowa DNR’s Boil Advisory protocol, please visit our website
at: https://www.iowadnr.gov/media/5348/download?inline

For more information, please contact the Regional Water Office at 712-343-2413.

Boil Advisory Lifted for All Customers except 5 Towns

June 02, 2025

Regional Water Drinking Water Boil Advisory Lifted for ALL Direct Customers, But Remains in Effect for 5 Towns on the System; Level Yellow Water Use Restrictions Continue

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 2, 2025

The Regional Water Rural Water Association announced that the Boil Advisory, which went into effect on May 14, 2025, has been lifted effective immediately. This strictly applies to the direct customers of Regional Water. To lift a boil advisory, two sets of negative bacteria samples must be obtained. Regional Water has completed its two sets of bacteria samples, and all samples came back negative for bacteria. As such, the boil advisory is no longer in effect for the system.

The Boil Advisory remains in effect for those living within the city limits of Brayton, Exira, Earling, Panama, & Portsmouth while they continue to collect their samples. It is anticipated that these communities will have sampled, and results analysis completed, by this Wednesday. As Regional Water receives the results from the other communities, Regional Water will lift the boil advisory as soon as possible for those towns.

We would again like to thank those who helped deliver sample bottles to the sampling points; who trained parties on how to collect the samples; for running the samples between two laboratories; and to the laboratories who handled the large amount of samples coming to their respective facility for analysis.

Regional Water’s water towers across the system have maintained pressure throughout the last week. Customers’ conservation practices and measures have proven helpful in filling the water towers.

The completion of the temporary booster pump was delayed due to wet weather last week. However, over the last few days the area was dry enough to level the ground, and bring the temporary pump trailer on-site. The chemical building was delivered this morning. Approximately 13 of the 18 miles of the new pipe have been pressure tested. Construction crews are working through the next 5 miles this week. Additionally, the pipeline and power will be connected throughout this week. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Regional Water hopes the connection between the City of Council Bluffs and Regional Water’s system will be completed on or about June 11th.

While the water towers are currently in good standing, please continue to be mindful of water conservation and use. Even with the boil advisory being lifted, drought conditions continue to affect Southwest Iowa. Water availability remains a concern until the temporary booster station is in place and running.

Please note, if water use goes beyond the capacity of the system, the towers could lose pressure again. If the towers lose pressure below 20 PSI, a boil advisory will go into effect again. The connection with the City of Council Bluffs will hopefully prevent overuse from happening. However, until that connection is complete, here are ways to help limit water use:

1. Avoid watering or irrigation of lawns.
2. Avoid washing your car, except at commercial establishments that provide that service as their only means of income. In these cases, hours of use will be restricted to 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM.
3. No water shall be used to fill private swimming pools, children’s wading pools, or similar articles.
4. No water shall be used to clean streets, driveways, sidewalks, etc.
5. Large volume water users, including industries, motels, hotels, eating establishments, and livestock confinements are requested to scale back services and/or production.
6. Schools are strongly urged to cancel physical education activities and inter-scholastic competitions that require showers or attract crowds and take other actions to reduce water consumption.

Regional Water wants to thank its customers for their patience and perseverance through the last several months. We know it has not been easy. Please know, Regional Water continues to work closely with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to ensure safe drinking water is delivered to its customers. To find information about the Iowa DNR’s Boil Advisory protocol, please visit our website at: https://www.iowadnr.gov/media/5348/download?inline

For more information, please contact the Regional Water Office at 712-343-2413.

May 28 2025 Update

May 28, 2025

All,

1. All towers maintained their pressure through the Memorial Day weekend and we finally were able to shut down for about 90-150 minutes Saturday, Sunday and Monday mornings. This is the first time since March. Thank you to all our customers who are conserving during this time! We ask that you please continue to conserve, so that this does not happen again before we are able to get water flowing from Council Bluffs.
2. The Booster Pump site for water from Council Bluffs was quite muddy this morning. We plan to set the temporary pump trailer tomorrow, and start hooking it up, weather permitting. This may take a couple of days to get everything hooked up properly.
   
   
3. Testing Day 2 began this morning. Test samples taken during the morning (including all city pits) were delivered to CBWW and Mid-West Labs. The rest of the samples taken are being refrigerated and delivered at 8am tomorrow. No major issues at this time. Once our tests are completed, the towns will begin their testing requirements. We cannot lift the Boil Advisory until all sample results come back clear.
   
   
4. We still have some bottled water available at our office during normal business hours, 8am-4pm, M-F.

Drinking Water Advisory & Level Red Press Release

May 14, 2025

Due to the declining watershed in their wellfield and sustained water usage, Regional Water announced that the Board of Directors has implemented the "Level RED" advisory for its member customers and communities on their ATP System. This is the highest level of Mandatory Water Use Restrictions of its Emergency Water Conservation Plan.

General Manager Tom Kallman stated "To protect the remaining supply of drinking water
and ensure equitable access for all, we are implementing Level RED Emergency Water
Rationing, effective May 14, 2025. The priority of use is for human consumption, personal hygiene, and cooking."

The "Level RED" restrictions only affect the Avoca Treatment Plant System, which
includes members and customers of the Association in Shelby, Audubon, Cass, Harrison, and Northern Pottawattamie Counties. Included are the communities of Avoca, Persia, Panama, Portsmouth, Westphalia, Kirkman, Tennant, Earling, Exira, and Brayton.
Why This Is Happening:
Drought conditions have persisted with below-average rainfall.
Water sources are operating at less than 60% capacity.
Demand has exceeded sustainable supply levels, especially during peak usage periods.
Mandatory Water Use Restrictions:
Effective immediately, the following restrictions are in place:
1. No outdoor watering of lawns, gardens, or landscapes.
2. No washing of vehicles, driveways, sidewalks, or buildings.
3. No filling or refilling of swimming pools, hot tubs, or ornamental fountains.
4. Restaurants may only serve water upon request.
5. Lodging facilities must offer guests the option to reuse linens and towels.
6. All leaks must be repaired within 48 hours of detection.
7. Water use for construction purposes is restricted to essential activities only.
Enforcement:
Water usage will be monitored.
Violations may result in fines or service restrictions.
How You Can Help:
Take shorter showers and turn off the tap while brushing teeth.
Run dishwashers and washing machines only with full loads.
Use water-efficient fixtures and appliances.
Note: Municipal and community events should strongly consider the use of portable latrines for events.

PLEASE NOTE: THE SYSTEM REMAINS UNDER A BOIL ADVISORY. 

For more information, please contact the Regional Water Office at 712-343-2413.
This notice is being sent to you by the Regional Water Public Water Supply System
PWSID#: IA8300184 Date Distributed: 5-14-2025 

Water Boil Advisory

May 10, 2025

Regional Water is recommending boiling the water before using it for drinking and to use an alternative source if possible for its Avoca Treatment Plant customers. {All customers except those in and around Underwood, McClelland, & Weston}.

Regional Water had a problem with the distribution system due to excessive demand and the system lost pressure on May 10, 2025. Due to the potential for bacterial contamination, it is recommended that the water be boiled before being used for drinking or cooking or that an alternative source be used. The pressure loss is affecting over half of their system, prompting the system-wide boil advisory.

IT IS RECOMMENDED NOT TO DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST. Bring all water to a boil, let it boil for one minute, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, and food preparation until further notice. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water. The water may be used for bathing and other similar purposes. If the water is colored, use an alternative source such as bottled water.

For more information, please contact the Regional Water Office at 712-343-2413. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1(800) 426-4791.

When water service is restored, there may be air in your water piping and the water may be discolored. It is recommended to run the first water from a faucet that does not have an aerator screen, such as a bathtub or hose bib. Open the faucet slowly to allow the air to escape. Once the water is flowing, allow the faucet to run until it is clear. The water may be cloudy at first due to air in the water or particles that dislodged as the pipes filled with water. This should be clear fairly quickly. If water is cloudy or colored throughout the house and it does not clear after allowing the water to run for several minutes, use an alternative source such as bottled water and contact Regional Water at the number listed above.

The system is being repressurized, and bacteria samples will be collected. This advisory is a precaution until bacterial sample results are available. You will be notified when the results are available and the advisory is lifted.

The system is working with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to resolve the situation.
This notice is being sent to you by Regional Water.
PWSID#: IA 8300184
Date distributed: 5-10-2025