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Water department lays out SCADA upgrade, deep well plan and phased lead‑service replacement strategy
Summary
Water staff proposed a 3% water rate increase and outlined a $1.345M SCADA replacement, a proposed $6.5M deep well to reduce PFAS/PFOS risks, and a multi‑phase lead service line replacement program estimated at ~$60M to meet tightened Lead & Copper Rule deadlines.
The Dubuque Water Department presented its FY2027 budget on April 7 and asked the council to support a proposed 3% rate increase to cover operating and capital needs while advancing regulatory compliance and long‑term supply resilience.
Director Chris Lester told the council the department operates 24/7 with 27 employees and manages roughly 333 miles of distribution mains and more than 24,000 customers. Key near‑term investments begin with a SCADA replacement at the Eagle Point Water Treatment Plant: the $1.345 million contract awarded to Westfall & Company includes new hardware and fiber connections to 17 remote sites and is expected to finish this September.
Staff also described a planned high‑capacity deep well as a strategic response to PFAS/PFOS sampling concerns; Lester estimated site development costs around $6.5 million and said the deep well sampling has not shown PFAS detections to date. The department hopes to combine settlement dollars and potential SRF forgiveness to reduce the city’s borrowing burden.
Lester emphasized federal Lead & Copper Rule changes that require utilities to replace all lead service lines by November 2037. For Dubuque, staff estimate about 3,900 private lead service lines remain; the proposed implementation begins with voluntary phases funded by forgivable federal dollars and would transition to mandatory replacements and SRF loans with owner assessments in later years. The total program estimate is about $60 million, and staff said annual replacement rates will ramp from pilot volumes toward a projected ~600 replacements per year to meet federal deadlines.
The water department proposed a 3% rate increase that staff said would raise the average monthly water bill for a 3,200‑gallon household to about $26.93. Councilors requested additional detail on how projected new housing units and new service taps are reflected in revenue projections; staff agreed to supply consumption and tap projections and to explain how projections flow into future rate planning.
No final council action occurred that evening; staff were asked to return with additional data and the city manager’s office will fold answers into budget follow‑ups.
