SIRWA letter lists raw water supply with Creston water talks

Southern Iowa Rural Water Association’s letter to Creston Water Works emphasized including raw water usage with mutual aid agreements with Creston once SIRWA’s water treatment plant is operational.

SIRWA asked Creston Water how it would like to proceed with negotiations by Oct. 17. Creston Water Works Board agreed Tuesday to not have future, in-person meetings with SIRWA about those agreements once SIRWA’s plant under construction east of Creston is working. That is expected in 2024.

Creston Water only wants to discuss treated water, known as potable, with SIRWA, said member John Tapken.

In the letter from SIRWA dated Sept. 21 to Creston Water Works signed by SIRWA board chair John Walston, it stated SIRWA wanted to include raw water in discussions. “...More specifically SIRWA’s proposed mutual aid agreement includes the temporary supply of raw water to the Creston Water Works Treatment plant during disruptions of supply of raw water from Twelve Mile Reservoir, and temporary water supply of raw water to the SIRWA Water Treatment Plant during periods of interruption to the supply of raw water from Three Mile Reservoir.”

The letter continues, “the temporary sharing of raw water sources in the agreement is to put both SIRWA and CCWW in the best position to be able to provide potable water to the residents and businesses in Creston and the region served by SIRWA in the event of water shortages. SIRWA and CCWW have a long history of working together to provide potable water within the multi-county region.”

The letter explains the need to include raw water in the agreements.

SIRWA expects in the future Three Mile and Twelve Mile lakes, to need to undergo maintenance requiring water levels to be significantly lower. “Sharing raw water sources would ensure that when one water source is down, both CCWW and SIRWA will still be able to provide potable water in the region by using the other water source if necessary.”

SIRWA also listed the possible reasons for threats to a raw water source from pump station failure, power supply failure, contamination or extended draught.

“It is the most responsible decision to plan in advance for the treatment and distribution of water in emergency situations rather than waiting for a potentially catastrophic even to occur (particularly when the treatment plants and water sources can so easily supplement each other due to their close proximity.)

SIRWA claims the design of their plant is to allow for simultaneous supply of raw water to both CCWW and SIRWA treatment plants. “It was understood the CCWW raw water supply system would retain at least one of the existing large pumps and that flow splitting provisions would be included with the (Creston water treatment plant) modifications, or as an alternative all raw water flow from Twelve Mile Lake could be routed to the (SIRWA water treatment plant) and finished water could be provided by SIRWA to CCWW during the event.”