Hawkeye Reporter

City of Adel issued the following announcement on June 18

Progress On New Water Treatment Plant

The City of Adel’s new Water Treatment Plant has been under construction since July 2019.

• The project is tentatively on track for Spring 2021, though many factors could affect this target.

Overall Water Projects

The City is in the process of designing or constructing seven major water infrastructure projects totaling approximately $24.87 million.

1. New Water Treatment Plant (under construction)
2. New Raw Water Transmission Main (substantially complete)
3. Water Main Replacements on Rapids Street and Bryan Street (complete)
4. Two New Wells (substantially complete)
5. New Ground Storage Reservoir (bidding)
6. New High-Zone Water Main (designing)
7. New High Service Pump (designing)

The projects have been financed through USDA Rural Development.

• Of the total cost, USDA-RD has provided approximately $3.5 million in grant funds.
• The projects have received highly competitive loan terms, including historically low financing rates.

Summer Water Usage

Water Watch

Since mid-June 2020, water usage has been trending upward with the hot and dry weather.

As in previous years, we expect a Water Watch will be needed this summer, likely sooner than later.

More details will be provided when a formal Watch has been issued.

Lawn Irrigation

For Adel Water customers, please limit your lawn watering or irrigation to the hours of 8:00 p.m. through 8:00 a.m.

• When you water your lawn during daytime hours, the majority of water is lost due to evaporation.

Adel Water customers should alternate the days of lawn watering based on your address.

• Even-numbered addresses should water only on even-numbered days.
• Odd-numbered addresses should water only on odd-numbered days.

Water Softeners

Existing Treatment Plant

With increased water usage this summer, it has become necessary to take the existing water treatment plant’s softening system offline until usage declines.

• This action reduces a production bottleneck from backwashing.
• The plant’s softeners were taken offline ahead of and during previous Water Watches.

Unfortunately, there are no cost-effective solutions to repair or replace the existing softening system.

• The existing softeners have exceeded their design life and have been repaired previously with little gain. Additional repairs would be costly and provide minimal benefit.
• With design, DNR review, bidding, and letting requirements, it is highly likely that any fixes to the softeners would not be ready until after the new plant is online. That is, the new plant will be operational and will take over before any fix on the existing plant could be implemented.

New Treatment Plant

The new plant’s Reverse Osmosis Membrane softening process will be more efficient at removing water hardness and will eliminate the chloride by-product waste that the existing softening system creates.

• The new plant will also have increased production capacity, which is a bottleneck in the existing process.

General Water Softener Notes

While frustrating and not aesthetically pleasing, hard water is not recognized as a health hazard.

Some customers have private, in-home softening systems.

• While the existing plant’s softening system is offline, please adjust your in-home softening system settings to 23 grains (400 mg/l), which is the average hardness level at the treatment plant without softening. Hardness levels may vary slightly in the distribution system.
• As with any other home maintenance, it is understandable that adjustments or maintenance on these systems could be delayed or forgotten. If that is the case, the customer would not be able to take full advantage of their private softener.

Please Note: Some customers within Adel’s city limits are served by the Xenia Rural Water District, which is a separate utility and water system.

Original source can be found here.

Source: City of Adel