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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 30, 2025

Tyler Trout

City Administrator

712-343-2424

City of Avoca Addresses Water Conservation Efforts and Regional Water Situation

[Avoca, Iowa] — The City of Avoca is taking proactive steps to address water conservation in response to ongoing challenges involving the Regional Water Rural Water Association (RWRWA). City officials recognize the importance of transparency and community collaboration in ensuring a safe and reliable water supply for all residents.

To reduce strain on the water system and preserve our shared resources, the City recognizes RWRWA's RED declaration in accordance with its established Water Conservation Plan. The plan includes tiered conservation measures designed to escalate as conditions warrant. These measures include:

Voluntary and mandatory restrictions on water use
Limitations on nonessential water usage (e.g., car washing, lawn irrigation)
Public education campaigns on efficient water use

The City's water conservation ordinance mirrors RWRWA's Water Conservation Plan; however, we are unable to institute all the measures of their restrictions due to the administrative burden regarding water rationing. In addition to these limitations to our administrative capabilities, City officials also feel that instituting measures to ration water would be unnecessary and potentially counterproductive, given the public's overwhelming support and strict adherence to water conservation practices.

Below is a status update on key components of Avoca’s ongoing water conservation efforts:

Pool Maintenance Water
– The City has reevaluated its initial plans to utilize water from an outside source due to the financial and logistical challenges. Fortunately, water usage at the Aquatic Center has remained far lower than anticipated, averaging less than 500 gallons per day. This welcome development allows us to maintain this vital summer amenity, which provides residents relief from the heat, supports recreation, and contributes to local economic activity.
East Pottawattamie County Fair
– The Fair Board is transporting water to the fairgrounds to avoid undue burden on our system. The City is sincerely grateful for the Fair Board's initiative in making these arrangements.
Leak Detection
– The City is working diligently to expedite its plan to install advanced cellular water meter endpoints, prioritizing older water meter endpoints nearing the end of their service life. This technology enables personnel to monitor daily water usage without manual readings, ensuring better customer service and providing real-time alerts when potential leaks are detected. The City appreciates everyone's cooperation to ensure this effort goes as smoothly as possible.
Leak Mitigation
– The City has proactively worked for several years to reduce water loss, beginning with the replacement of over 90% of its water distribution system. These improvements have significantly lowered systemwide leakage and improved service reliability. However, leaks can still occur—particularly at the connection points of private service lines.
If you observe a leak, please notify Avoca City Hall at 712-343-2424.

Regarding developments at RWRWA, the City is anxiously awaiting relief through the effort to connect an emergency pump to their newly constructed pipeline, which connects to Council Bluffs. Although this measure will not fully resolve the water shortage, it should provide added security to prevent a recurrence of the May 10th outage and boil advisory that impacted the entire system. Unfortunately, progress on the project has been hindered by environmental conditions and mechanical difficulties, making it challenging to estimate the time to completion of the emergency project with a reliable degree of accuracy. RWRWA has stated that they still expect the permanent pump to arrive in October.

City officials are actively evaluating infrastructure improvements and interconnection options to diversify water sources and reduce dependency on a single provider. In addition to working with RWRWA, the City of Avoca is also coordinating closely with our regional partners and emergency management officials to identify near-term support strategies and long-term resiliency solutions.

"Our priority is the long-term sustainability of Avoca’s water supply," said City Administrator Tyler Trout. "We remain committed to working with RWRWA and exploring all viable solutions that protect the best interests of our residents and businesses."

Residents are encouraged to visit the City's website and/or Facebook page for updates and conservation tips. Public input is welcome, and any questions or concerns can be directed to City Hall at 712-343-2424 or via email at crc@cityofavoca.com.

For direct questions regarding the progress of the RWRWA pipeline or other methods they are employing to increase the availability of water, residents are encouraged to contact Regional Water Rural Water Association directly at 712-343-2413.

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