FAQ

The majority of the city's source water is from the Jordan Aquifer (aka Cambrian-Ordovician Aquifer). The Jordan Aquifer is a 300 foot thick layer of water located 2500 feet deep under the entire state of Iowa.

Altoona has 3 water treatment plants and 3 source water wells that produce 5 million gallons per day (MGD).

The average demand is 3 million gallons per day. There is a storage capacity of 3.5 Million Gallons in the three elevated towers in the city. Altoona also can source an additional emergency capacity of 1 MGD from Des Moines Water Works until 2045.

A planned additional 4th Water Treatment plant and 2 source Water Wells would provide another 5 MGD for Altoona. In addition, ASR wells for storage in the Jordan Aquifer would provide emergency capacity.

Altoona is proposing that improvements and additions be operational by sometime in 2027-2028. These additions will provide service for a projected population of 40,000, which is expected to happen in approximately 2040.

As of 2024, Polk County remains in severe drought conditions, just as it has for the past 3 years. Future conditions to ease the drought are not clear according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR). To help the city manage in times of drought, Altoona refers to it's City Code, Chapter 94, which is the City's Water Conservation Plan.

City Code Chapter 94 allows Altoona's City Council to enforce water restrictions, such as prohibiting watering lawns and gardens, not allowing the use of private swimming pools, and prohibiting the private washing of automobiles or private vehicles. For the summers of 2023 and 2022, Altoona has initiated voluntary lawn watering, asking residents to alternate the days that they water their lawns to conserve water.