Water Works Team Addresses Water Quality at Lower Levels

With the lower levels of water in West Lake, quality challenges have become more apparent and require a change in the disinfection process. To help mitigate bacteria and other issues at lower levels in West Lake, a free-chlorine disinfection process will begin.

Click through to learn what you can do about the changes in your water…

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Paying Your Utility Bill

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Osceola Water Works is proud to be able to offer customers many convenient options for paying utility bills. With the community growing and new families and individuals taking up residence, the water works department felt it would be beneficial to run through the billing and penalty regulations and ensure all customers are aware of the options available to them.   For the convenience of all of our customers, let us outline the utility bill payment process and all the payment options and regulations. Osceola Water Works offers different options for you to make your payment to us.  You can always stop into

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Tap Water vs. Bottled Water: The Facts

annual change to free chlorine

Over the past twenty years, the consumption of bottled water has become so common, the sales are second only to bottled soda and eclipse both milk and alcohol. But is there really a benefit to drinking bottled water over tap water? Let’s compare the facts and find the real story. The safety of municipal water in the 1800s was suspect and not regulated, and bottled water was definitely a safer gamble. The start of water chlorination in the early 20th century and the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 changed that, and the popularity dropped off. With the invention of

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Washing Your Car Causes Dirty Water

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Washing your car in your driveway on a warm spring or summer day is a rite of passage and a task many drivers look forward to all year. But most people aren’t aware of the damage they’re doing by washing their vehicles in their own paved driveways. Did you know that washing the grime off your car can actually damage Iowa water quality and aquatic life? You’re not only cleaning off dirt, bugs and dust.  The water that runs down your driveway and into the storm drains also contains heavy metal from rust, brake linings, motor oil, gasoline, residue from

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Little Leaks Could Mean Big Problems

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Have you seen a significant change in your water bill that you can’t explain? There may be a reasonable explanation that you’ve overlooked. Before you panic, look through this list of non-leak related causes of a higher water bill: Have you had visitors or overnight guests? Have you filled a swimming pool, garden tub or hot tub? Do you have an irrigation system on your residential water line? Have you increased the frequency or length of time you water your lawn? Is it on a timer that is running too long or too often? Have you power-washed your home or

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Osceola Water Works Addresses Customer Concerns Regarding Flint Michigan Lead Issues

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Recent news stories about the dangerous water in Flint, Michigan may have raised some questions for customers of Osceola Water Works. How does lead get into drinking water? What are the health effects of lead in drinking water? How safe is MY drinking water? We would like to provide some answers and ease any concerns. What happened in Flint, Michigan? The city of Flint used to get its water from Detroit, which draws its water directly from the Great Lakes. In an effort to save money, Flint opted to draw their water from the Flint River. While lead isn’t necessarily

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How To Read Your Osceola Water Meter

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Each month, your water meter is read to determine your water consumption for billing purposes. Most water meters are located in the basement or crawl space of a single-family home. Other water meters may be located inside a plastic cylinder known as a meter pit (below ground). The meter pit can be found near the street by the sidewalk. All water meters in Osceola are conveniently read by remote equipment so you do not have to be available to let an Osceola Water Works Operator into your home. If your meter is located in your home and easily accessible, you may compare the readings located

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OSCEOLA WATER WORKS DOUBLES UP FOR BETTER TASTE AND QUALITY

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In the continuing effort to provide Osceola residents with clean, great-tasting water as well as keeping costs low, Osceola Water Works has stepped up their filtering schedule, with the a round of change-outs that took place from March 8th through the 11th. One of the main issues the Water Works Department has been faced with in recent years is the taste and odor of the drinking water in Osceola. Part of the arsenal being used to fight this problem is the carbon filtering system already in place. There are 8 filters that use granular activated carbon (GAC). Because their surfaces become

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Challenges of Treating Surface Water

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The Osceola Water Works team is continually working to ensure your water is clean, clear, and fresh. West Lake has been a great resource for the city’s water, but being a surface water resource, it poses unique treatment challenges. Surface water, such as Osceola’s West Lake, contains natural bacteria and other microorganisms like algae. The levels of these contaminants can be affected by several factors including rainfall runoff, soil conditions, land cover, agriculture, and the local topography. This creates the need for a greater focus on the surface water sanitation process. Certain times of the year create a greater need

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Osceola Water… WORKS. Osceola Water Works Embarks on New Public Education Campaign

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ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE OSCEOLA SENTINEL (OSCEOLA, IA – August 17, 2015) This summer, Osceola Water Works contracted with Spoke Communications to develop and implement a public education and communications program to be delivered to the residents of Osceola, Iowa. The program will be a dedicated effort by the Osceola Water Works board to help residents see more of and understand the value the board and the Water Works staff provide to the community. “’You turn the tap and the water comes out.’ That seems to be the extent of the understanding some have about an effective Water Works program.”

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