Water officials want Des Moines metro property owners to rethink their lawn watering plans now to help avoid a second consecutive summer ban amid the area's ongoing nitrate crisis.

Why it matters: Many irrigation systems are serviced in early spring, setting automatic watering schedules that are often unnecessary or excessive for the rest of the lawn season.

• It becomes harder to temper demand once the schedules are in place, Central Iowa Water Works executive director Tami Madsen tells Axios.

Driving the news: Nitrate levels of the untreated water collected from the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers, the two main sources of the metro's water, have for weeks hovered at or above a federal nitrate maximum level of 10 mg/L.

• It's unusual for nitrate removal facilities to run in the winter, but this year's started on Jan. 6 to ensure safe drinking water.

State of play: Nitrates are tasteless, naturally occurring compounds that can become harmful to human health when levels in drinking water are too high.

• Fertilizer and animal waste runoff have contributed to the problem, and the metro has been dealing with high levels for decades.
• Periods of warm weather in recent months likely contributed to higher nitrate levels.

Stunning stat: Nitrate removal can cost the metro up to $16,000 a day.

The latest: High nitrate levels reached early in the year have foreshadowed continued high levels throughout the year, John Lawrence, an emeritus professor at Iowa State University, tells KCCI.

Reality check: It's too early to predict whether central Iowa will face lawn-watering restrictions this summer because rainfall and river conditions can change quickly, and forecasts aren't guaranteed.

Yes, but: Lawn irrigation is the main contributor to summer usage spikes, and employing conservation practices is a reasonable step, Madsen said.

• CIWW wants to stay within its nitrate removal capacity range for multiple reasons, including financial ones, since water utility budgets are tied to usage, Madsen said.

The intrigue: Lawn watering is often unnecessary and may even harm the grass, according to ISU turf specialists.

What's next: CIWW plans to promote lawn-watering efficiency in the coming weeks, including sharing guidance from Iowa scientists.

Polk County homeowners can now sign up for free email notifications whenever a document is recorded against a property they choose to monitor, County Recorder Julie Haggerty told supervisors at a meeting last month.

Why it matters: Ads selling protection against "home title theft" — situations in which criminals forge documents to transfer property — have become more common in recent years, and the alerts may be a reasonable solution for many people, Haggerty tells Axios.

How it works: The Property Check system lets residents create an account and add properties to "watch."

• When a document tied to that property's legal description enters the recorder's indexing system, the system automatically sends an alert.

Reality check: The tool does not prevent fraud, and by the time you get an alert, it may already be too late.

Yes, but: Haggerty says home title theft attempts are far less common than some advertisements suggest, noting that she's not aware of any in her nearly two decades as Polk's recorder.

• If it does occur, the notifications could help remedy the situation more quickly, since most people do not regularly check updates to their land titles, she said.

The big picture: Many paid plans are essentially monitoring and alert systems that can't stop someone from filing a document, WHO-13 found in a recent consumer story.

By the numbers: Some plans cost around $20 a month but also offer up to $1 million in restoration coverage if fraud occurs.

The bottom line: Residents don't have to pay for Polk's service.

🏢 DSM's historic City Hall building is now closed after offices were moved to the T.M. Franklin Cownie City Administration Building, at 1200 Locust St. (WHO-13)

🇺🇸 Iowa educators would have to show proof of legal status under a proposed Iowa Senate bill, a response to former DSM superintendent Ian Roberts' arrest last year. (Iowa Public Radio)

🗳️ Iowa is one of a dozen states competing to host early events in the Democratic Party's 2028 presidential nominating process, alongside Illinois and Michigan. (Radio Iowa)

Axios Des Moines delivers clear, trustworthy reporting that helps you make sense of what's happening in your area.

• By becoming a member, you directly support your newsroom and help keep it focused on what matters most in your community.

We appreciate your support!

🔎 Correctly guess by 4pm where this cage was located in the metro (or where it is located now) for a chance to win two tickets to the final show of the musical "Kimberly Akimbo" on Sunday at the Des Moines Civic Center, courtesy of Des Moines Performing Arts.

• The winner will be named in tomorrow's newsletter.

High Life Lounge's 22nd annual Groundhog Day opening celebration is this morning with the return of Polk County Paula, the celebration's mascot.

Details: Attendees get a free Yuengling lager from 6-8am with breakfast served until 11am.

• 200 SW 2nd St. in DSM

🦫 1 fun thing to go: Axios Pittsburgh looked into Punxsutawney Phil's 140-year history and discovered his forecasting record is not good — around 35%.