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Marshalltown Water Works: current supply limited; new plant will increase capacity
Summary
Marshalltown Water Works told the planning commission that current system constraints limit additional supply roughly to 100–200,000 gallons per day for a new large user, with a treatment-plant expansion expected in 2028 to raise capacity to about 2,000,000 gallons per day.
Zach Maxfield, general manager of Marshalltown Water Works, told the planning commission the utility evaluates proposals using hydraulic models and will need project specifics to determine whether the system can serve a large data center.
"But currently we we don't have the capacity to feed more than a 100 or 200,000 gallons a day to anybody," Maxfield said, adding that fire-flow requirements and pipe sizes complicate any simple cap on water use. He said the utility is building a new treatment plant scheduled for spring 2028 that would provide roughly 2,000,000 gallons per day of hard capacity.
Maxfield also noted closed-loop cooling systems still require an initial fill and periodic top-offs and that wastewater-treatment and additives used in cooling discharges will be a topic for future limits. Commissioners discussed whether to require city connection and ban private wells within city limits as a way to protect underground aquifers from high-volume extraction.
Staff and commissioners said they will work with Water Works on draft permit language and recommended that the utility be involved early in permitting and design review so the city can confirm supply and protect neighboring customers.
