Study: Macedonia lacks water capacity; engineers present $2.07M–$2.18M options for interconnection

The Pottawattamie County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday reviewed a water-system study showing that Macedonia cannot meet current or projected demand while Carson and Oakland face constraints that limit long-term regional solutions.

The study, presented by Bethany Wilcoxson, senior advisor for Iowa West Foundation, and CJ Grellos, project manager for the engineering team that prepared the report, summarized field findings for Oakland, Carson and Macedonia and offered two technical options to move water where it is needed. Wilcoxson said the study was delivered to the board on Jan. 20 and funded through local/regional development work.

Why it matters: Macedonia’s existing supply and storage are undersized, the report says; the town’s water tower holds about 30,000 gallons while current minimum storage requirements are roughly 60,000 gallons. That shortage triggers immediate operational risk during peak use and emergencies, including firefighting demand, and leaves Macedonia repeatedly approaching regulatory “tier 2” triggers for rationing, the consultants said.

Consultants’ main findings: CJ Grellos said Macedonia relies on two shallow aquifer wells that cannot meet present or projected demand. Carson has four wells (including one deeper Dakota aquifer well) that meet current demand but not projected future demand. Oakland is planning six new wells but presently relies heavily on an industrial user: Oakland Foods consumes an estimated 80% of Oakland’s produced water.

The engineering team presented two feasible options for providing Macedonia with durable supply from Carson: a gravity-fed transmission using a 6-inch line or a pressurized booster-pump station using a 4-inch pressurized main. The study estimated construction costs at about $2,070,000 for the gravity option and about $2,180,000 for the booster-pump option — roughly a $100,000 difference.

Constraints and tradeoffs: Consultants warned that a gravity system depends on both communities’ water towers maintaining full operating levels. Grellos said a 9-foot elevation difference between Carson’s and Macedonia’s towers can enable gravity flow when levels are favorable, but fluctuations could interrupt supply; that option would require instrumentation and SCADA controls to manage inter-tower levels. The pumped option avoids the same sensitivity but requires pump-station construction and ongoing energy/maintenance costs.

Distance and routing also raise cost. Grellos said using Oakland as the central treatment hub for all three towns would require many miles of raw and treated transmission main; he estimated roughly 14 miles of main would be needed to tie the systems, making that combined three-town approach prohibitively expensive without major outside funding. Wilcoxson and the consultants recommended focusing near-term planning on a Carson–Macedonia connection or pursuing rural/regional water options.

Funding and next steps: Wilcoxson said Iowa West provided the study to help communities pause before drilling short-term shallow wells and to evaluate longer-term alternatives and potential state and federal funding sources. She emphasized that Iowa West is not positioned to pay for construction and that the decision now rests with the local councils. Bethany reported follow-up meetings with Carson and Macedonia officials and said both communities were receptive to continued planning; she recommended reconvening the towns with Iowa West and the study team to define preferred options and pursue grants or other financing.

Other technical details: The report flagged Macedonia’s tower as approximately 30,000 gallons versus a cited minimum storage of about 60,000 gallons; Macedonia’s future projected usage was described at about 90,000 gallons per day in the study. Consultants estimated existing distribution losses in one area at roughly 58–60 percent (reported during Q&A). Grellos recommended additional hydrogeologic testing for new wells and noted Carson may have a Dakota well that could support added capacity if test results confirm feasibility.

Regional alternatives and governance: Presenters reviewed prior discussions about a larger, multi-jurisdictional pipeline and a Central Iowa Water Works purchasing/governance model created by suburban utilities, including a 28E-style agreement. Wilcoxson said Oakland previously chose not to participate in the larger Minden/Council Bluffs pipeline project, which affected regional options. A representative of regional rural water said during the meeting that extended transmission from existing regional mains could be feasible but that the system currently lacks the built capacity to instantly solve all urgent needs; that representative noted recent investments (about 31 miles of new transmission main) that expand future options.

What the board directed: The presentation ended without a board vote. Supervisors thanked presenters and said the next step would be to arrange joint discussions with the affected towns, review grant opportunities, and let Carson and Macedonia decide whether to pursue the recommended interconnection, test wells, or rural water hookup.

The presentation lasted for extended discussion and Q&A; presenters stressed that any construction would require separate design, agreements between municipalities, and funding commitments before work could begin.