ESSENTIAL, BUT ONE SOUTHERN IOWA TOWN IS RUNNING OUT NOW. OSCEOLA RESIDENTS ARE ADAPTING. ADULTS AND KIDS ARE WORKING TOGETHER, ONE WATER BOTTLE AT A TIME UNTIL THERE’S A SOLUTION. KCCI ALYX SACKS HAS THE STORY. THE DAY BEGINS LIKE ANY OTHER AT CLARKE HIGH SCHOOL, STUDENTS POUR INTO THE HALLS AND FILL UP CLASSROOMS READY TO LEARN ANY DIRECTION. IT’S THE CASES OF WATER SITTING IN EACH CLASSROOM THAT SETS THIS SEMESTER APART. WE COME IN, WE GRAB A COUPLE OF PALLETS FOR THE TEACHERS THAT NEED THEM, RUN THEM TO THE ROOMS. THAT WAY THE KIDS AND THE TEACHERS HAVE THEM IN THE ROOMS. THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WAS FORCED TO SHUT OFF DRINKING WATER IN ALL OF THEIR BUILDINGS BECAUSE OSCEOLA IS KNEE DEEP IN A WATER CRISIS. IN JANUARY, A WATER EMERGENCY WAS DECLARED BY THE CITY, STATING WATER USE NOT NECESSARY FOR THE PRESERVATION OF LIFE OR THE GENERAL WELFARE OF THE COMMUNITY IS PROHIBITED. THE DISTRICT WAS TASKED WITH THE CHALLENGE OF KEEPING KIDS AND STAFF HYDRATED, WHILE ALSO CONSERVING AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, AND WITH ABOUT 1300 STUDENTS, THE NEED ADDED UP QUICK. THERE. FIRST WATER DELIVERY OF 36,000 WATER BOTTLES CAME IN OVER WINTER BREAK. WE’RE GOING THROUGH ABOUT A PALLET OF WATER A WEEK. SONYA HICKS IS HAPPY WITH THE DISTRICT’S RESPONSE. SHE HAS FOUR SCHOOL AGED KIDS AND HAS BEEN LIVING IN OSCEOLA FOR 15 YEARS. I LOVE IT HERE. THIS WATER CRISIS HAS THRUST HER FAMILY AND OTHERS INTO A LOT OF UNKNOWNS, WHICH CAN BE SCARY. AND ANY PARENT WILL TELL YOU KIDS HAVE A TENDENCY TO ASK HARD, HONEST QUESTIONS. THEY’RE WONDERING, WHEN ARE WE GOING TO RUN OUT? WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? UM, WHERE ARE WE GOING TO LIVE? CAN WE CAN WE STAY HERE? WHAT THEY COULD REALLY USE RIGHT ABOUT NOW, A DROUGHT BUSTING SPRING. WE ARE JUST WEST OF OSCEOLA AT WEST LAKE. RIGHT BEHIND ME IS THE SPILLWAY. IN A PERFECT WORLD, THAT WOULD BE OVERFLOW WITH WATER, BUT INSTEAD ALL YOU’RE SEEING IS MUD. AND WHAT SHOULD BE THE BOTTOM OF THE LAKE? WE JUST NEED ANOTHER WATER SUPPLY. WE DON’T HAVE ENOUGH RAW WATER IN SOUTHERN IOWA, BUT IOWANS KNOW FAR TOO WELL. THAT’S NOT SOMETHING YOU WAIT AROUND FOR. AND TAPPING INTO ANOTHER COMMUNITY SOURCE. CITY ADMINISTRATOR TY WHEELER SAYS, ISN’T VIABLE. I DON’T KNOW THAT THERE IS A SHORT TUM SOLUTION, BECAUSE IF THERE WAS, WE’D ALREADY BE DOING IT BY NOW. THE PERMANENT SOLUTION EVERYONE IS HOPING FOR IS YEARS AWAY. AT BEST. WE’RE PROBABLY 8 TO 10 YEARS BEFORE YOU COULD DRAW WATER OUT OF A NEW RESERVOIR. IN THE MEANTIME, THE PEOPLE OF OSCEOLA ARE STEPPING UP AND EVEN GETTING CREATIVE WITH THEIR CONSERVATION. WE DID TURN OUR AUTOMATIC FLUSHERS DOWN AS LOW AS THEY WOULD GO. ONE FLUSH, ONE CASE OF WATER AT A TIME TO PRESERVE AND STAY IN THE TOWN THEY LOVE. WHAT DO PEOPLE DO IF THEY LOSE EVERYTHING THAT THEY’VE INVESTED IN THEIR WHOLE LIVES? SO NO, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. IT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING RIGHT NOW. LET’S REVISIT WHERE OSCEOLA IS WITH A MORE PERMANENT WATER SUPPLY SOLUTION. THE PROPOSED RESERVOIR IS ABOUT AN 800 ACRE LAKE, WHICH WOULD INCREASE THEIR RAW WATER SUPPLY BY 2 MILLION GALLONS A DAY. IT’S ABOUT $100 MILLION PROJECT, AND VOTERS HAVE GONE TO THE BALLOT BOX AND APPROVED DEDICATING THE LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX TO THE PROJECT SO THAT REVENUE IS IN PLACE. RIGHT NOW, THEY’RE WORKING ON FINALIZING AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT, WHICH WILL FORMALLY QUALIFY FOR FEDERAL FUNDING. IT’S A 75% COST SHARE WITH NO CAP. SO THE CITY SAYS THAT’S ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL FOR THE DELIVERY OF THE PROJECT.