The City of Newton Water Department manages several water storage facilities, including four reservoirs and one water tower. Additionally, we utilize a tower owned by the IRUA (Iowa Regional Utilities Association), located near the Interstate across from the Speedway. We pay a maintenance fee to the IRUA to cover the inspections and upkeep of their tower.
Within the Water Treatment Plant, we have a clearwell with a capacity of 1,000,000 gallons and a reservoir that can hold 150,000 gallons of water. In the City of Newton itself, we have a water tower that can store 500,000 gallons of water, a 1,000,000-gallon reservoir and a more extensive 2,000,000-gallon reservoir located southwest of the central water tower.
To ensure the proper maintenance of these storage facilities, we hire a contractor approximately every three years. The contractor must inspect and clean all the reservoirs and the tower using professional divers. This method allows us to avoid draining the storage facilities completely; instead, we keep them as full as possible while the divers carry out their tasks.
During their time inside the structures, the divers collect recordings and take pictures to visualize the conditions. They provide us with a comprehensive report, including videos detailing the findings and condition of the facilities. If any repairs or issues are identified, the divers will make recommendations, and we will issue a separate contract or task order to address those concerns.