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The American Water Works Association (AWWA) has a website devoted to Drinking Water Week that states: “For more than 40 years, the American Water Works Association and its members have used Drinking Water Week as a unique opportunity for both water professionals and the communities they serve to recognize the vital role water plays in our daily lives.”

The ISU Extension and Outreach Natural Resource Stewardship program provides a good overview of Drinking Water Quality in Iowa here: https://naturalresources.extension.iastate.edu/drinking-water-quality-iowa

This week, Madison SWCD is highlighting drinking water sources in Madison County, Iowa:

Rural Water Systems

Madison County is served by three different rural water systems:

• Xenia Rural Water District
• Warren Water District
• Southern Iowa Rural Water Association (SIRWA)

Private Wells

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Water, 15% of the U.S. population relies on private wells for drinking water. The Iowa State University Extension Natural Resources Stewardship (hyperlink to: https://naturalresources.extension.iastate.edu/) program estimates that about 7% of Iowans rely on private wells.

There are 814 private household wells on record in Madison County, but that is only for recorded wells (there are likely more).

More information about Private Drinking Water Wells can be found here:

• Private Drinking Water Wells (EPA)
• Protect Your Private Well Infographic (EPA)
• Keeping Your Private Well Water Safe (ISU Extension & Outreach)

The Madison County Environmental Health Office offers free annual well water testing, and they can also assist with well closures to ensure that abandoned wells do not contribute to groundwater contamination. They can be reached at 515-462-2636.

Cedar Lake

Cedar Lake is the drinking water source for the City of Winterset, and supplies water to about a third of residents in Madison County. Over the years, the City of Winterset/Municipal Utilities Board and Madison SWCD have worked together with farmers and landowners in the watershed to reduce nutrient and sediment runoff.

• Cedar Lake Watershed webpage
• Winterset Municipal Utilities webpage

SOURCE WATER PROTECTION RESOURCES

Whether you get your water from a municipal utility, a rural water association, or a private well, having safe, clean drinking water matters to us all! You can learn more about protecting source water here:

• EPA: How Can You Help Protect Source Water?
• Iowa DNR: Source Water Protection
• AWWA: Source Water Protection

April 27-May 4, 2025 is Iowa Soil and Water Conservation Week, which coincides with National Stewardship Week organized by the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD). This year, the theme is: “Home is Where the Habitat is.”

Additionally, this year marks the 90^th anniversary of President Franklin Roosevelt signing the Soil Conservation Act on April 27, 1935, which created the Soil Conservation Service (now the Natural Resources Conservation Service) as a permanent agency under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). To view an interactive timeline of The History Of the NRCS, visit:  https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/a3a0db06ef774ea6958c870f86c73365

To celebrate these events, Madison SWCD will be hosting a Coffee & Cookie Drive Thru in the parking lot of the Madison County USDA Service Center on Tuesday, April 29, 2025 from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. while supplies last. The event is free and open to the public! Stop by for a cup of coffee and cookie, and meet your elected SWCD commissioners and local NRCS/IDALS/SWCD staff. We will also have informational materials related to this year’s theme for Stewardship Week: “Home is Where the Habitat is”. To see more information on the Facebook Event page and invite others, visit: https://www.facebook.com/events/1235179378238715

The Madison County Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) commissioners were pleased to present the 2025 Conservation Scholarship to Karly Christensen at their monthly meeting on April 16.  Ms. Christensen, a senior at Winterset High School, is planning to attend Iowa State University in the fall. 

Madison SWCD has been accepting scholarship applications on behalf of Conservation Districts of Iowa (CDI) for many years, but has only been offering its own local scholarship award since 2023.  The scholarships are open to graduating high school seniors pursuing programs of study in conservation or agriculture. 

For more information about the scholarship and other opportunities for students, visit www.madison-swcd.org/for-students/

Madison County Soil and Water Conservation District is an equal opportunity provider and employer.