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Many of the water mains that deliver clean water to every home and business in Fort Dodge are pretty old.
In fact, they are so old that they are nearing the end of their expected lifespan, an engineer told the City Council Monday.
Derick Anderson, a vice president of McClure Engineering Co., said 59 percent of the city's water mains are more than 50 years old.
He said the expected lifespan of a water main is 70 to 100 years.
The aging water distribution system has had 165 water main breaks since Jan. 1, 2020. Each of those breaks cost between $7,000 and $10,000 to repair.
To begin improving the status of the city's water distribution system, he introduced a plan to spend about $9 million over about three years on improvements. That work would be followed up by a second phase of projects with an estimated cost of $15 million.
"It's not fun and it's not making us more popular, but we're doing what needs to be done," Mayor Matt Bemrich said.
Under the plan introduced Monday, the city would finance the projects with a low interest loan from the state and pay off the debt with revenue from a new $5 charge added to monthly water bills.
The plans calls for doing these projects next year:
• Replacing water valves at various places in the city at an estimated cost of $1 million.
• Improving the water mains around the water tower on South 32nd Street at an estimated cost of $423,000.
• Extending a 12-inch diameter water main to the Elanco plant on the city's northwest side at an estimated cost of $300,000. The company will pay the city for the engineering and construction costs.
Another major water main project in the works for next year that was not discussed at Monday's council meeting is a pipeline that will provide Fort Dodge water to Manson. The city will seek bids from contractors this fall, with work to begin next spring.
Water main work planned for 2025 and 2026 will address Kenyon Road between U.S. Highway 169 and Triton Plaza, the area of Avenue O and Avenue B, North Seventh Street and a now unused line that goes through Loomis Park on the city's north side.