History of the LeMars Water System


In 1887 , the first water plant started in LeMars. This venture was started by an organization of whom John M. Dunn was president and Peter Egan served as Secretary. The Plant was started at the location presently know as the North pumping station and reservoir, which is now O’Toole Park. This ground was formerly part of a brick plant.
They started with a few shallow wells but as demand grew they kept putting down more wells, until they had over 50 – 2” wells about 50’ deep. The original wells were connected to a 10” water main through a tunnel to a reservoir that was built in 1890.

It was believed that the first water works office was located at 38 Central Ave NE
The Original capitalization was for $40,000 started by Mr. Dunn, who very suddenly left town after receiving a check for $20,000. The plant was taken over by John Winchell, who invested $20,000 in equipment in addition to a loan of $32,000. At this time, in the year of 1891, a local bank, had invested $40,000 and made an additional loan of $4,500 and in order to protect their interests took over the Water works.

 
The Bank wanted to be relieved and on order by the banking department to divorce the water works from other banking operations disposed of their interest to Mr. Bert Bush. After two years of unsuccessful operation, Mr. Bush was forced out by a creditor who, in turn, interested Mr. Jim Rogers in taking over the plant. After running the plant a few years, Rogers was taken over by Knorr & Schafer, who operated the plant until 1922. In 1922, it was purchased by Iowa Light and Power Company, Later known as the Iowa Public Service Company. In 1925 the old wooden reservoir was replaced with brick walls 8” thick faces with cement on the inside and concrete floor 6” thick. A cement walkway was constructed around the inside edge of the reservoir. Inside measurements of the reservoir are 38’x 88’x 14’ with a capacity of 350,000 gallons. In 1927 a water tower was erected on one of the higher pieces of ground in southeastern LeMars, Fifteen blocks from the ground where the reservoir and wells are located. This is now the corner of 6th St. & 4th Ave. SE.. Of steel construction the bowl’s diameter is 30’ and from the bottom of the bowl to the top measuring 48’, with a capacity of 307,000 gallons, rest on six steel legs that gives the tower an overall height of 138’.

In 1934 it became necessary to add greater capacity to pump from the reservoir in to the water mains, another centrifugal pump of 750 GPM was installed in #2 pump house. This pump was driven by a 60 hp, 3460 rpm. , 220 volt, 3-phase motor.

In 1945, it was necessary to rebuilt the roof of the reservoir as same caved in from excessive weight of snow. In the early days of the water plant there were very few mains and consequently very few fire hydrants installed. During 1893 there were about 20 hydrants, later in about 1925 as more mains were laid, about 50 hydrants were installexd. As more mains were added, more hydrants were also added so that in 1950 there were 159 hydrant and 92,259’ of water main. At the end of October 1950 IPS had 1435 metered, 170 flat rate and 1 municipal hydrant customers. Average pumping per day ran around 800,000 gallons per day.
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In 1966 Iowa Public Service Company added the south well field, which consisted of Well # 6 and a New High service pumping station and 100,000 gallon reservoir on Industrial Road SW. Then in 1967 they added Well # 7, just east of well # 6.

In 1983 the water works was sold to a private owner from Woodstock, Ill named Matt Stahl. He ran the water work under the name of LeMars Water Company for around five years. After many complaints from the Citizen of LeMars, The City began condemnation proceedings against the Private Company, and received ownership on the water works in June of 1988.
 

The City of LeMars, water department was formed with one water superintendent and three water operators and began operated at it’s current north well field and reservoir at O’Toole Park. Many Improvements need to be made from the beginning. Starting with well # 4, which had broken down the day the City took over operations, along with 60 non-functioning hydrants, and two other wells in bad condition. In the Spring of 1990 water operations were moved the south well field in a new building at the present location of 1298 18th St. SW. In the Fall of 1990 well #9, a new 1,000 GPM well, was added at the south well field. Then in the spring of 1992 the new high service pumping station and 1.5 million gallon underground reservoir, at 1298 18th St. SW., was put into service. Then in the fall of 2000, a new 0ne million gallon elevated tower was constructed at a site on the old Westmar college property. The new tower has a height of 162’ and a bowl diameter of 72’ with a side wall height of 40’. Increasing City’s water pressure by around 10 psi.

At present time the water system consists of 483 Fire hydrants, 3,913 water meters, and 297,785 feet of water main.
4 in - 94,158 ft.
6 in - 73,050 ft.
8 in - 89,621 ft.
10 in - 3,640 ft
12 in - 29,676 ft.
16 in - 9,040 ft.

An average pumping day in the year 2000 of 2,500,000 gallons of water a day.
 
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