During last week’s meeting, the Carroll City Council took the first step to address long-standing water pressure issues for residents in northwest Carroll by approving a nearly $500,000 professional services agreement with JEO Consulting. Public Works Director Randy Krauel says the scope of work for such a project is extensive.
The initial estimated construction cost is around $3 million, bringing the projected total to $3.5 million. JEO is projecting preliminary designs to be completed around Aug. 15, with the final designs finished by Feb. 15, 2025. Construction would take about a year, beginning April 15, 2025, and wrapping up the following spring. Krauel details the proposed funding for the water pressure project.
Water pressures in community systems vary based on various factors, most notably a property’s elevation compared to the water tower. Lower elevations generally see higher pressures, and vice versa. The average water pressure in Carroll is between 60 and 70 psi, but the affected areas can drop as low as 22 psi in the worst-case scenario. Ward 4 Councilwoman Carolyn Siemann says these pressures still meet Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) standards.
Anything below 40 psi is considered too low, and in some cases, residential appliances, such as washing machines or dishwashers, will not operate properly. There has been some feedback from taxpayers concerned that the cost is too high, especially when considering the city is in compliance. Ward 2 Councilman Jason Atherton says this is a legitimate quality-of-life issue for some of his constituents and notes the city has committed more funding to QoL projects in other wards.
An exact count of affected homes is not available, but Krauel estimates the low-pressure zone stretches east to west from U.S. Highway 71 to N. West Street, and north to south from 21st Street to 15th Street. The proposed solution will be to isolate that area from the rest of the water system and reconnect to a new 150,000-gallon tower through a booster station and loop. The council approved a motion from Ward 1 Councilman Tom Bordenaro to approve the professional services agreement with JEO Consulting for $498,500.
