Hard-Hat Tour of All Things Water

“It’s been a long time coming,” says Keagan Richmond, City of Grinnell’s Water Director, as he gave a tour of the new, hard-hat only, plant to Chamber Ambassadors. And, no, he’s not just quoting a Taylor Swift song.

Richmond knows that “people are excited for this to come online, but perhaps no one more than me,” he laughs. The new water treatment plant, which has been an active project for the City of Grinnell in planning, and now building, for over five years, goes far beyond what you can see on site.

From a 153-foot-tall water tower to a 2,300-foot-deep well, the project includes a number of key improvements to Grinnell’s water infrastructure. Several components are already complete, and the new drinking water treatment plant is on track to be operational by January 2027.

The plant will have the capacity to produce 2.6 million gallons of water per day—more than twice the approximately 1.1 million gallons Grinnell consumes on any given day. That additional capacity will provide flexibility for the community, particularly during the summer months when water demand increases, as well as the opportunity for growth.

At the heart of the facility is a new, state-of-the-art nanofiltration system designed to allow water to travel through semi-permeable membranes to remove hardness, manganese, radium and other naturally occurring minerals. Water will pass through the pretreatment filters and the membrane system before being disinfected, adjusted for pH and corrosion control, and stored in a clearwell onsite which can store up to 300,000 gallons of water, before it heads out to your homes and businesses.

But the treatment plant is one piece of the much-larger infrastructure project. A new well has been drilled next to the plant, and the city has also completed a new raw water transmission line serving Wells 8 and 9. Existing wells are receiving upgrades designed to improve reliability and emergency preparedness.

You may have noticed the new water tower on the City’s southeastern border. The current 300,000-gallon tower has served Grinnell for more than a century. The new tower will hold 1 million gallons which will provide additional storage, flexibility and breathing room for the entire water system.

The city is also in the midst of a lead service line replacement project, traversing the nearly 65 miles of piping and water connections. “We have funding to help offer a pilot program – for free – to remove lead for residents and businesses,” says Richmond. Wondering if your lines qualify? Call Richmond and the Water Department today to find out. “We’re currently working with 185 folks to finalize permissions and bid out the project.”

Put all those numbers together—2,300 feet underground, 153 feet in the air, 2.6 million gallons of daily treatment capacity, 1 million gallons of new water storage and the 65 miles of piping infrastructure beneath our feet—and you get a sense of the scale of the work underway.

Contact the Water Department at 641-236-2635 or email Richmond directly krichmond@grinnelliowa.gov with questions and to learn more.

Chamber Ambassadors:

Monique Shore — PFLAG Grinnell Poweshiek

Jackie Rhoades — Walmart Grinnell

Sarah Smith — Grinnell College Community Connections

Natalie Pavey — Cirks Financial Services

Evan Petig — The Grinnellian

Karen Dillon — Grinnell Remodeling

Nicolle Donnelly — Poweshiek Insurance Agency

Sonja Horn — Pioneer Bookshop, Grinnell College

Monica Chavez-Silva — Grinnell College

Fran Conn