The Storm Lake City Council received a comprehensive presentation last night from the Water Treatment Plant Rates and Design Advisory Ad Hoc Committee, outlining the city’s path toward a new water treatment facility.
The committee, created in July 2025, met four times to study planning, design, and funding options.
Former Mayor Mike Porsch served as spokesperson at the city council meeting, stressing the urgency of replacing the current plant—located west of Storm Lake Elementary School at 6017 85th Ave.—which dates back to 1978 and now operates at near‑capacity every day.
Porsch said doing nothing is no longer an option.
The committee recommends building north of Iowa Highway 7, near existing wells and service lines, while avoiding environmentally sensitive areas.
Water Treatment Plant Superintendent Kolby Struchen emphasized that the project extends beyond the plant itself, encompassing wells and storage needs for the next two decades.
Preliminary cost estimates reach as high as $100 million. Porsch says grants are unlikely, and General Obligation bonds would burden property taxpayers while excluding rural users. Instead, the committee favors phased utility rate increases beginning in Fiscal Year 2027, starting on July 1 of this year.
The new plant is expected to deliver about 8 million gallons per day, compared to the current facility’s 5 to 5.6 million.
Mayor Meg McKeon acknowledged the financial impact but urged residents to consider the necessity.
She urges residents to take a look at the graphics and figures presented in the council packet, which is available on the city’s website at stormlake.org/515/Agendas-and-Minutes.
The council will now consider the committee’s recommendations, with land acquisition identified as the immediate next step. Porsch says that must occur within six months to keep the project on track.
