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Utilities department outlines water safety, PFAS testing, lead service‑line inventory and wastewater plant upgrades
Summary
Utilities staff told the council the city meets state and federal drinking-water standards, described PFAS monitoring and a 2016 service line inventory, and detailed a multi‑year upgrade at the Water Pollution Control facility with a contractor-targeted completion in late 2026.
John, the utilities presenter, told the council on Feb. 4 that Ames water “meets all state and federal requirements and customers can be assured of the safety of their drinking water.” His presentation covered treatment, monitoring and major capital work in the department’s operating and capital budgets.
He said the department has monitored PFAS in source wells, shut off a well that had higher PFAS levels before federal maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) were final, and that when the EPA’s new lead rules required a service-line inventory the city had already completed and posted an inventory in 2016. “We did it because it was the right thing to do,” John said.
Staff reported approximately 39 full‑time employees in the utilities department, with another 10–13 part‑time positions seasonally for student operators. The water treatment overview emphasized three customer priorities: safety, reliability and…
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