Ambassadors got an update on the Water Treatment Plant project today. Many of you may remember the updates we shared last year about the status of the water softeners and deteriorating piping. Water director Keagan Richmond shared that the emergency connection (picture 2) is complete should the pipes in the plant fail before the new plant is online. This emergency connection will allow the staff to bypass the plant and treat the water so it is safe to drink before sending it into the community.
A new well, Well 10, will be located just off the west side of Broad St at what will be the rear of the new building. Drilling for this well is expected to begin in early summer and will drill nonstop for 3 months. While there will be some noise, it’s anticipated to be roughly 70-80 dBa or roughly the equivalent of a generator. There will be lots of equipment on site and intermittent closures on the streets surrounding the water plant.
The new water tower will be located at East & Ogan and plans are currently awaiting DNR approval but construction is slated to start this summer. The new tower will hold 1 million gallons of water (current tower holds 300,000 gallons). The current tower is still in good working order and will stay online until it needs major repairs.
The Raw Transition Main construction, which will feed water from Wells 8 & 9 on the east side of town to the water treatment plant, will begin this summer. This main will run in the right of way of 1st Ave and Keagan anticipates there may be some temporary detours or lane closures.
The New Water Treatment Plant is scheduled to be 90% designed by the end of this month. The new plant will use a nano filtration system, similar to reverse osmosis, as opposed to the old sodium based softener systems. The new system will filter water through spiral membrane filters, like what Keagan is pictured holding (photo 3) but larger, that will provide soft, safe drinking water for the community. The new plant will be able to put out roughly 2.1 million gallons per day, the current plant is at 1.3 mil. Construction on the new facility will begin after DNR approves the plans and will hopefully be completed in late 2026.
The Water Department team continues to make other updates and repairs to Grinnell’s water supply and its infrastructure to ensure Grinnellians maintain access to safe drinking water. We’re excited to continue to see updates on this project!
Pictured L-R: Fran Conn, Shane Hart - Grinnell College Golf Course, Rachael Kinnick - Grinnell Chamber, Keagan Richmond - Grinnell Water Department, Charlie Isaacs - Theisen's, Hannah Vos - UnityPoint at Home, Trent Arment - MCG - Mahaska Communication Group, Cynthia Alberts - OnMedia, Matt Moyer - Bayer Crop Science
Not Pictured: Donnette Ellis - Grinnell College Community Connections
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