Residents on the south side of Clarion might have had to take a detour while driving recently or deal with a short water shutoff. However, according to Clarion Director of Public Works Jon DeVries, that will be a small price to pay for the benefits they will receive when the current Water Main Replacement project is completed.
The project involves replacing 5,000 feet of underground water mains on the south side of town, says DeVries. The new mains will be wider since the previous ones were undersized for a modern system. DeVries adds that other benefits will include less negative water pressure and the elimination of dead ends in the pipes. Ultimately, he explains that this will help with overall water pressure and quality. Even Iowa Specialty Hospital could expect to see higher volume capacity after the project.
DeVries says that the main replacement project has been a couple years in the making. The south side of town had the oldest mains and pressure tests had concluded that they were not sufficient for today’s standards.
Clarion City Administrator Clint Middleton noted that this is a great project for the town. Though most of the work is underground and might not be noticeable a few months down the road, he says it is an important infrastructure update for Clarion.
The project is being completed by Reding Gravel & Excavating Co. out of Algona. DeVries said the crew is already proving to be efficient and speedy. He expects the project to extend into late-September. He adds that the water main project will cost around $1,156,000 with $600,000 of that being covered by a federal Community Development Block Grant.
