Projects of this size usually require two years of planning, design, and permitting, and around two years of construction. The new drinking water treatment plant is on track to be online by December 2026.

Yes, the water is safe. The city regularly monitors and tests the water quality as required by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Environmental Protection Agency. Recent testing showed the water contained a higher level of radium than previous readings; however there is no immediate cause for concern.

The use of water softeners is a personal preference. The new drinking water treatment plant will reduce water hardness down from 22 grains to 7 grains, a 68% reduction. The city needs to keep a safe level of water hardness in the water so it does not become corrosive. If customers continue to use water softeners, they will need to adjust their softener to the new water quality to see the cost savings in using less softener salt and minimize the harmful environmental impacts of water softener use.

Yes. The city is looking at multiple funding options in order to keep rate increases as reasonable as possible. The water improvement projects will be funded through the following sources:

• Low interest and/or forgivable State Revolving Fund (SRF) loans
• Federal money through community project funding programs
• Water rate increases

Once the city has a more accurate total project cost, we will communicate any expected rate increases. 

Yes. the Jordan Aquifer is a reliable source of water for many communities in the state of Iowa, including Grinnell. The Jordan Aquifer is one-half mile under ground. Water in the aquifer arrived there thousands of years ago, and as a result, does not contain any pollutants introduced by humans from the surface. Like any natural resource, its supply isn't infinite: water is pulled from the aquifer and there is a natural recharge as well. The state has spent several years studying the long-term viability of the aquifer and has implemented water conservation practices to ensure it remains reliable. 

During the project planning phase, the city and their consultant team modeled aquifer drawdowns for Grinnell and determined the long-term pumping levels will remain well above the conservation limits regulated by the state.