The Challenge:
The City of Ottumwa, Iowa began combined sewer separation efforts in the early 2000s. Throughout this process and after, flooding became a prominent issue. For the community of over 25,000 and visitors to the area, flooding around the Ottumwa lagoon had produced reoccurring fears of property damage to retail areas, ball fields, and the adjacent water park.
The Solution:
After performing a hydrology and hydraulics evaluation, the most effective solution was to build an upgraded pump station. The new pump station allows operational flexibility and improves conveyance within the lagoon system. These solutions greatly reduce the risk of flooding. By equipping the station with the latest technology, it can incorporate water level data taken from both the river and the lagoon to optimize how the pump station operates throughout the year. Our Electrical team served to safely update the power sources of the pump station. We provided reference lines on the front of the pump station indicating the elevation of the flood protection levee as well as the highest historic flood event as a reminder of the robustness of the city’s flood protection system.
Project Benefits:
The pump station improvements provide the city with reliable flood safety measures with symbiotically-designed features to match its surroundings. The new design features are critical to how the station coexists with the surrounding amenities, businesses, and recreational areas. In addition, the technology used in the station allows for more energy efficient usage, less dependence on manpower, and more automation to the facility’s operations. We also created a wildlife habitat area within the park. This success wouldn’t have been conceivable if it weren't for the collaboration between our team, the city, and the local stakeholders.
