Worth County officials report water-main extension complete; county weighing lower-cost chemical pump replacements

County staff told the Worth County Board of Supervisors that the Top Iowa water-main extension project is complete and in active use, and reported an equipment issue discovered after the upgrade.

Why it matters: The water-main upgrade increased system pressure and revealed that the heads on chemical-injection pumps used for chlorine and other chemical dosing are failing; vendor-recommended replacement pumps are expensive and county staff said they are seeking lower-cost options and rebuild kits to reduce downtime and cost.

Details from the meeting: Supervisors heard that after the mainline work increased system pressure, the county's chemical injection pumps' heads began to fail because the units installed (provided after the initial sale) are not technically rated for the conditions now present. A vendor quoted roughly $4,000 per pump; county public-works staff told supervisors they believed less-costly pumps could meet the county's needs and said they were obtaining competitive pricing. Supervisors agreed staff should use reserve funds if necessary and to acquire extra rebuild kits so repairs can happen immediately when a head fails.

Staff also reported plans to install updated water meters across the system; because internal staff are shorthanded, the county expects to contract the installations to an outside firm (Larson's) and staff said the work will be scheduled overnight during slow hours to minimize service disruption. The county will seek pricing from the contractor and return to the board with cost estimates.

What the record does not specify: exact vendor names and model numbers for the pumps, the final purchase price, and the amount the board authorized from reserves; staff said prices and quotes were being gathered and the board agreed to proceed once staff provided figures.