The list of communities hard-hit by drought continues to grow, and mismanagement of water resources is exacerbating water shortfalls. While these conditions are more pervasive in the western U.S., they are occurring with increasing frequency throughout the country. In Iowa, the city of Belle Plaine is the nexus of the drought currently gripping the eastern part of the state.

Over a decade ago, a landowner unlawfully diverted a stream that replenishes the aquifer that supplies the city’s four wells. With the stream no longer available, the aquifer began to dry out and rainfall deficits produced insufficient recharge for the well system.

When an extensive drought hit the area in 1988, a fifth well was installed for emergencies, tapping into a deeper aquifer, but with current shortages, it has become the city’s primary water source. Although the water meets the provisions of the Safe Drinking Water Act, it contains manganese and iron, contaminants that can impact water’s taste, odor, and appearance, making the residents reluctant to use or drink the water.[1]

Recently, Belle Plain constructed two levees to capture precipitation and send it to the tributaries supporting the wells. Future planning includes a treatment or filtration system for the emergency well to remove contaminants and drilling additional wells to restore the area around the aquifer and recreate a sustainable water supply.

[1] Miller, Brittney J. “A Rural Iowa Town Is the Driest It Has Ever Been. It’s Running Low on Water.” Investigate Midwest, 19 Oct. 2023, investigatemidwest.org/2023/10/16/a-rural-iowa-town-is-the-driest-it-has-ever-been-its-running-low-on-water/.