►
From YouTube: This Week in Ames
Description
Water and Pollution Control Director John Dunn highlights the upcoming Open House at the Water Plant. Join us on Saturday April 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 300 East 5th Street.
A
B
B
B
The
the
Ames
water
utility
actually
started
in
1891,
and
a
lot
of
folks
may
not
realize
that
it
actually
started
not
for
drinking
water
purposes,
but
for
fire
protection.
There
had
been
a
sort
of
a
mrs.
O'leary's
cow
type
of
a
fire
in
downtown
aims,
and
the
businesses
petitioned
the
city
council
to
create
a
fire
protection
system,
and
so
that
was
really
the
origin
of
where
the
current
water
utility
started.
Even.
B
We,
what
we
want
to
showcase
is
how
the
Ames
water
utility
is
really
grown
up
with
the
rest
of
the
city.
You
know,
as
we
celebrate
the
sesquicentennial
this
year
and
just
just
kind
of
show
some
of
the
milestones
you
know
how
the
city
grew
and
how
the
water
utility
grew
up
with
it.
It's
really
pretty
fascinating
to
see
well.
A
B
A
B
Yeah,
the
design
for
that
new
facility
wrapped
up,
excuse
me
in
late
March
and
through
the
summer
of
2014,
we're
going
to
go
through
permitting
with
the
Department
of
Natural
Resources
and
once
that's
resolved.
We
anticipate
that
we'll
probably
be
out
for
bids
in
maybe
June
or
July,
and
groundbreaking
on
that
facility
will
start
hopefully
September
of
this
year.
That's.
A
B
There's
there's
a
whole
list
of
things
that
really
make
that
site
preferable
in
terms
of
hydraulics.
The
elevation
of
that
facility
is
within
about
five
feet
of
the
existing
water
plant,
which
means
that
all
of
the
pumps
and
the
wells
are
already
set
to
provide
water
to
that
site.
So
that's
a
big
advantage.
B
Its
proximity
to
the
existing
water
plant
allows
us
to
reuse
some
of
the
infrastructure
in
place
and
that's
a
savings
of
several
millions
of
dollars
worth
of
infrastructure
that
we
would
otherwise
have
to
struct
and
plus
the
fact
that
the
site
was
there.
It
was
vacant.
It
was
already
being
used
by
another
governmental
entity,
the
USDA,
so
we
were
able
to
take
property
that
was
not
already
on
the
tax
rolls,
so
we
weren't
impacting
the
community
in
that
way,
either
just
a
whole
bunch
of
reasons
that
really
made
that
a
really
attractive
site
now.
B
For
folks
who
are
familiar
with
the
site,
there's
a
two
story:
brick
building,
really
that
sits
right
at
the
end
of
fifth
Street,
where
it
dead-ends
that
brick
building
was
built
in
the
early
1990s
and
it
houses
the
water
meter
division
in
the
laboratory.
That
building
is
going
to
remain
that's
in
really
good
shape
and
those
those
folks
have
pretty
good
quarters
there.
B
So
they're
going
to
remain,
but
the
administrative
offices
and
then
all
of
the
treatment
function
of
the
facility
will
be
shifting
to
the
new
site,
the
new
plant
Wow
once
it
comes
online
and
we
get
through
sort
of
a
break-in
period
and
we're
comfortable
that
it's
doing
what
it
needs
to
do.
At
that
point,
then
we'll
begin
discussing
the
demolition
of
the
old
facility,
so.
B
Is
higher
it's
going
to
be
15
million
gallons
per
day,
so
that's
about
a
twenty
five
percent
increase
in
capacity
and
the
building
and
the
site
have
been
laid
out
so
that
we
can
do
two
additional
five
million
gallon
per
day
increments,
so
that
we
could
take
that
facility
all
the
way
up
to
25
million
gallons
per
day,
which
would
be
more
than
double
what
our
current
capacity
is.
So
the
sites
really
set
for
for
several
generations
to
come
so.
A
B
Water
is
a
limited
resource
and
we
we
don't
have
the
advantage
of
being
on
a
large
river
in
Ames
area.
People
who
have
been
here
more
than
a
year
have
seen
those
rivers
go
dry,
and
so
we
are
dependent
on
a
ground
water
source
and
it
is
a
limited
resource.
It's
it's
a
pretty
productive
aquifer,
but
it's
not
infinite
and
so
stretching
that.
As
far
as
we
can
first,
it's
just
from
a
stewardship
perspective.
It's
it's
the
right
thing
to
do
for
the
sustainability
of
the
community,
but
it's
also
got
a
financial
impact
as
well.
B
It
costs
money
to
to
add
this
new
capacity.
The
new
water
treatment
plant
coming
online
is
about
a
75
million
dollar
investment,
and
so
we
want
to
make
sure
that
we
don't
have
to
make
those
75
million
dollar
investments
every
15
or
20
years,
and
a
big
part
of
that
is,
as
I
discussed
earlier,
stretching
that
water
as
far
as
we
can
and
so
conservation
becomes
really
really
important
for
us.
So.
A
B
It
is
and
the
demand
the
peak
demands
for
us
come
in
the
summer,
driven
in
almost
an
entirety
by
irrigation,
outdoor
lawn
watering,
and
we
do
have
a
seasonal
rate
structure
so
that
the
water
is
more
expensive
in
the
summer
than
it
would
be
in
the
winter
and
particularly
for
residential
and
irrigation
accounts.
It's
a
block
structure,
so
the
more
water
you
use
it
becomes
progressively
more
expensive.
So
there
is
a
financial
incentive,
as
well
as
that
sustainability
incentive
to
not
use
more
than
you
need,
and
certainly.
A
B
That's
right
and
our
marketing
campaign
that
we
use
is
called
smart
water
and
it's
because
we
want
people
to
use
the
resource
in
a
smart
way.
We've
never
told
people
don't
irrigate,
but
we
do
want
to
educate
them
on
the
fact
that
a
healthy,
well
established
lon
only
needs
one
inch
of
water
per
week
and,
if
you're
putting
more
water
on
than
that,
you
may
actually
be
damaging
your
lawn
by
preventing
the
roots
going
deep
and
I
joke
a
lot
of
times,
but
I
remind
people.
B
It
doesn't
matter
how
much
you
water,
your
sidewalk
you're
not
going
to
grow
any
more
concrete.
So
you
need
to
make
sure
that
when
you
put
sprinklers
out
or
if
you've
got
an
irrigation
system
that
they're
set
so
that
the
water
is
going
where
it's
going
to
provide
a
benefit
and
not
just
being
wasted
by
running
down
the
curb
and.
B
If
you're,
if
you're
watering
at
noon
on
a
hot
day,
there's
a
lot
of
evaporation
taking
place,
the
really
the
best
time
to
water
would
be
in
the
early
morning
about
that
way,
it
won't
evaporate
as
much
the
plants
have
a
chance
to
take
it
up,
and
it's
also
healthier
for
your
plant,
because
the
blades
of
grass
will
then
dry
out
where,
if
you're
watering
in
the
evening
and
you've
got
wet
grass
over
the
overnight
hours,
you
might
get
started
experiencing.
You
know
some
fungus
or
other
turf
diseases.
So.
A
One
last
thing
I
wanted
to
touch
on.
We
talked
about
investing
in
infrastructure
and
planning
for
the
future.
Part
of
your
role
as
director
is
here
not
just
over
water,
but
you're.
Also
over
the
sewer
system,
explain
a
little
bit
about
some
changes
in
investments
in
infrastructure
that
will
affect
the
utility
bill.
Payer
yeah.
B
B
In
town,
no,
it's
not
in
town,
it's
about
four
miles
south
of
Ames.
If
you're
coming
to
ames
from
the
south,
coming
along
interstate
35
right
before
you
get
to
the
skunk
river,
you'll,
see
it
off
on
the
east
side
of
the
interstate
you'll
see
just
the
top
of
it
over
the
hills
that
that
facility.
You
know
it's
got.
Some
maintenance
needs
to
keep
it
operational.
B
Certainly
it
continues
to
respond
to
new
environmental
requirements
that
are
placed
on
the
facility.
We're
actually
completing
right
now
about
a
two
and
a
half
million
dollar
ultraviolet
disinfection
upgrade
to
the
facility.
So
that's
that's
driving
a
part
of
it
also
is
the
collection
system
gets
the
wastewater
from
homes
and
businesses
to
the
plant
at
that
location.
B
The
city's
Public
Works
Department
is
concluding
a
multi-year
comprehensive
evaluation
of
the
sewer
system
where
they've
they
have
inspected
and
graded
the
condition
of
every
pipe
in
the
community,
and
what
that
is
revealed
is
that
there
is
several
several
millions
of
dollars
worth
of
work
that
needs
to
take
place
and
the
capital
improvements
plan
for
the
sewer
system
now
includes
about
three
and
a
half
million
dollars.
A
year
for
several
years
to
go
in
and
rehabilitate
that
pipe
and
make
replace.
B
It's
it's
underground.
It's
out
of
sight,
some
of
those
pipes,
probably
date
back
to
the
very
very
early
years
of
the
aims
community
and
it's
it's
just
important
that
we
get
in
there
and
we
we
upgrade
them.
It
helps
keep
clear
water
from
getting
into
the
sewers.
That's
important
for
preserving
the
capacity
of
that
facility.
B
Protecting
the
capacity
of
the
the
integrity
of
the
system
also
prevents
the
waste
water
from
leaking
out
into
the
environment,
which
is
also
something
that
we
very
much
need
to
avoid
doing,
and
so
this
investment
into
that
sanitary
sewer
system
is.
It
comes
with
a
price
tag
and
in
order
to
help
fund
that
the
aim
City
Council
has
been
asked
to
implement
an
eight
percent
increase
in
sewer
rates.
Effective
this
July
first
and.
A
B
A
B
The
collection
system
is
maintained
by
the
public
works
crews,
so
they
basically
take
care
of
getting
it
from
the
customer's
house
to
the
treatment
facility,
and
then
my
department
would
actually
take
over
then
the
treatment
of
it
and
making
sure
that
it
complies
with
all
the
necessary
environmental
regulations
before
it's
released
back
into
the
environment.
So.
A
B
B
It's
very
near
completion,
a
part
that
the
public
probably
didn't
see
is
at
the
wastewater
facility.
We
were
doing
an
evaluation
of
that
facility
as
well
and
that
the
two
pieces
are
really
going
to
work
in
tandem.
You
know
looking
at
where
is
it
most
cost-effective
for
the
community?
Is
it
to
add
additional
capacity
at
the
treatment
plant
to
treat
all
of
the
extra
clear
water
that
would
get
in
the
sewer,
or
is
it
more
cost
effective
to
repair
the
sewers
and
keep
the
water
out
in
the
first
place?
B
B
Certainly
it's
it's
crucial
to
the
long-term
health
of
the
community.
If
you
just
stop
and
think
what
life
would
be
like
in
a
city
the
size
of
Ames,
if
there
was
no
available
drinking
water
system
or
if
there
was
no
sanitary
sewer
system,
it
just
simply
would
not
be
possible
to
live
the
lifestyle
that
we
do
and.
A
I,
don't
think
anybody
would
like
to
live
in
a
place
like
that.
So
I
know
it's
tough
on
those
for
utility
bills
come
in
and
they're
higher
than
maybe
the
year
before.
Again,
it's
just
investing
in
the
future
exactly
right!
Well,
John!
You
obviously
have
a
lot
of
stuff
going
on
again
that
water
plant
open
house
when
is
that
it's.
A
A
If
you're
looking
for
something
to
do
this
weekend,
don't
forget
that
homo
golf
course
is
open
and
you
can
do
tee
times
online.
Also,
remember
you
can
now
watch
channel
12
from
your
tablet
or
smartphone
for
more
information
about
what's
going
on
the
city
of
Ames,
don't
forget
to
check
us
out
on
our
website
city
of
Ames
org
or
on
Facebook
or
Twitter.
Well,
that's
our
show
for
today,
thanks
for
watching
and
tune
in
next
week
for
this
week
in
Ames.