Nitrates: What It Means for Osceola’s Drinking Water

On March 10, 2026   /   General Water Works News  

Your Osceola Water Works (OWW) team works hard to ensure the water you use every day is clean and safe. Water treatment processes play a key role in making sure the water from our taps is safe, for drinking, cooking, cleaning and personal hygiene as well as supporting healthy communities and preventing the spread of illness.   High levels of nitrates in drinking water can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and infants under six months. During our most recent testing period, January 7, 2026, nitrate levels from West Lake measured 0.35 mg/L. For comparison, the U.S. Environmental Protection

More from My Water Works →
Back to Top

Osceola Water Works Addresses Water Quality and Lake Turnover

On January 14, 2026   /   General Water Works News, Important Water Works Updates  
water taste and smell in osceola iowa

Osceola Water Works has confirmed that West Lake, the source of Osceola’s drinking water, recently experienced a natural process known as lake turnover. This seasonal event can temporarily affect the taste and odor of drinking water, even though the water remains safe to consume. Lake turnover is the process of a lake’s water mixing from top to bottom. It happens naturally, most often in the fall and spring, when air temperatures fluctuate. During summer, lake water forms a top layer that is warm and heated by the sun and a bottom layer that is colder, darker, and denser. As temperatures

More from My Water Works →
Back to Top

Osceola Water Works Makes Annual Transition to Free Chlorine

On September 30, 2025   /   General Water Works News, Important Water Works Updates  

During the month of October, Osceola Water Works will make a temporary change in disinfectant to Free Chlorine that will take place starting October 2, 2025 and continue through November 5, 2025. This practice is endorsed by health authorities like the EPA and is not considered a public health risk.   Converting to Free Chlorine is a preventative, periodic maintenance practiced by many water utilities to ensure continued quality and integrity of the public water system.  While Chloramines are effective, it is necessary to convert to Free Chlorine, which is a stronger disinfectant used to proactively kill bacteria that can become

More from My Water Works →
Back to Top

First Phase of Water Main Replacement Project Nears Completion

On September 11, 2025   /   General Water Works News  

If you’ve driven down West Garfield or North Fillmore lately, you may have noticed Osceola Water Works making some big changes underground. The project, which began earlier this summer, focused on replacing the old cast iron water mains in the 200 block of West Garfield and the 600 block of North Fillmore with brand-new PVC pipe. This upgrade is a big step forward in improving the service reliability of Osceola’s water system. Looking at the project numbers, crews installed roughly 768 feet of new 6-inch water main, added two fire hydrants, six gate valves, and replaced ten service connections going

More from My Water Works →
Back to Top

Osceola Water Works Customer Notification Regarding EPA Lead Service Line Inventory

On November 12, 2024   /   General Water Works News  

Osceola Water Works is focused on providing safe drinking water and protecting the health of every household in our community.  In the coming days, some residents of the City of Osceola will receive a notification regarding their existing water pipe (called a service line) that connects the home, building or other structure to the water main.  This notification is being issued to property owners and tenants to comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act requirements.  As part of the requirements of the 1986 Congressional Safe Drinking Water Act – Lead Ban, the Federal Government banned the installation of new lead

More from My Water Works →
Back to Top

NOTICE: Osceola Water Works Makes Switch from Chloramines to Free Chlorine

On October 7, 2024   /   General Water Works News, Important Water Works Updates  
annual change to free chlorine

Starting on Monday, October 7, 2024 and continuing thru November 7, 2024, Osceola Water Works will make a temporary change in the disinfectant used in water treatment. Osceola’s annual switch from chloramines to free chlorine is a common practice in water treatment and OWW goes through the process every fall. Free chlorine is a stronger disinfectant than chloramine, but it cannot be used year-round because it creates byproducts that are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency. The use of ammonia with chlorine – chloramines – reduces or eliminates these byproducts and helps Osceola Water Works continue to provide clean and safe

More from My Water Works →
Back to Top

Water Works Team Addresses Water Quality at Lower Levels

On November 13, 2023   /   General Water Works News, Important Water Works Updates, Newsletters  

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…

More from My Water Works →
Back to Top

Osceola Water Works Switching To New Billing Structure And Rates

On May 28, 2021   /   General Water Works News, Important Water Works Updates  
osceola water works

(OSCEOLA, IA – MAY 26, 2021) Osceola Water Works continually strives to provide safe, quality water to the customers they serve. In an effort to continue effectively and safely serving their customers, OWW will be transitioning to a new billing structure that will include a rate increase to not only allow the department to budget for necessary upkeep, repairs and improvements, but also make calculation and payment of future bills easier. Starting July 1, 2021, OWW customers will see the new billing structure. With the new flat-rate structure, the average residential customer will only see an increase of a few

More from My Water Works →
Back to Top

Osceola Water Works Researching Plans for Improved Water Quality

On October 20, 2020   /   General Water Works News, Important Water Works Updates  
water color in osceola iowa

It seems to be an annual occurrence. As soon as the heat of late summer hits, surface water sources around the midwest become victims of algae blooms, causing treatment challenges for municipalities and water departments and giving citizens concern for their water quality. In Osceola’s West Lake, the algae blooms have been increasingly difficult in the past few years. That, along with ageing filtration system challenges, has the Osceola Water Works team working hard to keep treatments ahead of the issue. Finally, after some engineering research and guidance from the DNR, they believe the issue can be addressed with some

More from My Water Works →
Back to Top

NOTICE: Watch for Water Works Annual Treatment Change

On October 6, 2017   /   General Water Works News, Important Water Works Updates  
water treatment, fire hydrant

Starting in October, Osceola Water Works will begin transitioning to winter maintenance and will be making a change in the water treatment process. While residents may notice a difference, there will be no cause for alarm. In early October, the water works department will begin their annual fire hydrant flushing program. This process allows OWW to perform routine maintenance on the hydrants and to clean out sediment that has settled in the water mains. Department employees will open the fire hydrants and allow them to flow freely for a short period of time. Residents may notice a slight discoloration or trace amounts

More from My Water Works →
Back to Top