WRA outlines $110M-plus annual projects, warns Urbandale of higher sewer assessments and trunk-line construction

The Des Moines Metropolitan Wastewater Reclamation Authority (WRA) told the Urbandale City Council that a new facility plan, rising debt service and several large construction projects will increase assessments for member communities and put upward pressure on local sewer rates.

The WRA director, Scott Hutchins, told the council the authority will collect about $66,000,000 from member communities in fiscal 2026 and that the capital improvement plan for the year is “just shy of $110,000,000.” He said the authority’s debt service for FY26 is about $33,800,000 and that the WRA finance committee is recommending raising the WRA agreement’s current debt limit from $675,000,000 to $975,000,000 to fund planned work.

Why it matters: The WRA is the regional wastewater utility that serves Des Moines and 17 member communities; the authority’s debt and capital program are allocated to members on a three‑year flow average. That allocation, combined with the WRA’s planned borrowing and projects, is already reflected in draft budgets and rate proposals for the Urbandale Sanitary Sewer District and the Urbandale–Windsor Heights district.

Most important facts

- WRA governance and scale: Hutchins described the WRA as a regional utility with 18 member communities governed by a 21‑member board; the authority owns roughly 64 miles of regional sewers, seven pump stations and nine equalization facilities.

- FY26 totals cited by WRA staff: community collections of about $66 million; net operating budget roughly $13.2 million (offset by revenues and prior‑year credits); debt service about $33.8 million; capital improvement plan near $110 million for the year. The WRA director said the CIP’s six‑year total is roughly $413 million.

- Debt pressure and agreement changes: Hutchins said the WRA is updating both the operating contract with the City of Des Moines and the WRA agreement that sets how projects are funded. “The new debt limit that is being proposed by the WRA is $975,000,000 — we’re gonna raise that debt limit,” Hutchins said.

- Projects highlighted: major projects include the Ingersoll Run outlet sewer, Berthlend (Berthland) Pump Station rehabilitation completed recently, final clarifier rehabilitation (underway with completion projected in 2028), a phosphorus recovery project (to pelletize phosphorus and yield about $900,000/year in revenue when in operation), and a Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) project that cleans biogas for pipeline injection. Hutchins said the RNG program currently generates about $6,000,000 a year in gross revenue and the RNG capital cost was about $20,000,000 with a four‑to‑five year payback estimate.

- Consent decree and regulatory outlook: Hutchins reported the WRA is completing work under a consent decree entered about 12 years ago to eliminate combined sewer overflows (two CSOs remain and are expected to be eliminated by the end of the year). He also said the WRA recently received a five‑year MPDS permit from the Iowa DNR; nutrient limits (phosphorus and nitrogen) are likely to be a future regulatory issue though not yet in the current permit.

How Urbandale is affected

- Joint common trunk: Hutchins presented maps of the WRA Joint and Common Trunk project that run into northwest Urbandale. Design is under way; easement negotiations have not started. He said the project is long and will be built in phases (the presentation showed the WRA intends to start where the need is greatest and proceed downstream). Hutchins said the team has held stakeholder meetings and plans additional public meetings; the project was described as likely to be bid later this year with work beginning next year on the first phase.

- Trail and neighborhood impacts: Council members asked whether the work will affect local bike trails (Walnut Creek Trail and other segments). Hutchins said he believed the trunk construction “probably will” affect trails but that he would confirm details after additional design meetings and report back. A WRA consultant representative said most of the trunk alignment will be on private property rather than park ground, though some trail impacts are expected and the WRA is coordinating with parks staff.

- District budgets and rate pressure: Paul Dray and Matt Stoffel (PFM, municipal adviser) reviewed district finances. Stoffel said the WRA budget rose 12.4% in the current year and that modeling done for the finance committee shows the WRA budget could increase roughly 10% per year for the next five to seven years under the facility plan. For the two Urbandale districts, Stoffel’s analysis showed the average residential sewer bill in the Urbandale Sanitary Sewer District (for a 4,100‑gallon user) at about $23.71 in the most recently reported year; Urbandale–Windsor Heights had some of the lowest rates among WRA members and therefore faces larger percentage increases to “catch up.” The Windsor‑Heights district’s allocation increased by 4.8% in the most recent reallocation; Urbandale Sanitary Sewer’s allocation decreased 1.3% in that same update.

- District actions and planning: Staff said the Urbandale–Windsor Heights district approved its budget last month; the Urbandale Sanitary Sewer District held a public hearing and was scheduled to consider its FY26 budget at its meeting later the same day as the council briefing. Stoffel and district counsel said the districts are modeling multi‑year rate paths (examples shown included multi‑year 5% increases and alternative profiles with larger up‑front increases to reduce future rate pressure).

Quotes from officials

- “We will collect $66,000,000 from communities,” Hutchins said when describing the WRA’s FY26 collections.

- “The new debt limit that is being proposed by the WRA is $975,000,000 — we’re gonna raise that debt limit,” Hutchins said when discussing the WRA agreement.

- “The WRA increased the budget this year 12.4%,” Matt Stoffel said, adding the authority’s modeled multi‑year increases are the primary driver of the districts’ projections.

What was decided or directed

- The WRA board has approved the WRA facility plan (approved December 2024, per staff) and approved the FY26 budget at its board meeting last month, according to staff remarks.

- The WRA and the City of Des Moines are negotiating an updated operating contract and a restated WRA agreement; staff said the revised agreements are expected later this year and will reflect the facility plan and approaches for funding projects.

- Staff described a plan for additional public outreach and surveys of easements for the Joint and Common Trunk project; no final construction schedule was set at the council briefing beyond the phased timeline presented.

Remaining details and next steps

- City and district staff will continue to receive updates from WRA staff as design and easement work continue for the joint trunk project and as the WRA finance committee finalizes debt‑sizing and timing.

- District trustees and PFM will continue modeling rate scenarios and will present proposed rate ordinances or adjustments in upcoming district meetings; the transcript did not include final rate ordinances or council votes on new rates.

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(Reporting note: numbers and program names used above reflect statements made by WRA and district staff during the council briefing; where the transcript left timing or outcomes unspecified, this article notes that those outcomes were not specified in the meeting text.)