Johnston Council Votes to Add Third Pump to Beef Up City's Water Supply

During last summer's drought the Johnston Public Works water department noticed difficulty in filling the Northwest Beaver Drive Storage Tank.

Steps taken by the Johnston City Council Monday could prove to be the fix.

The council voted 5-0 to enter an $84,600 contract with Foth Infrastructure and Environment, LLC for engineering services for adding a third pump to the Merle Hay Road booster station and resizing the existing pumps to meet the current hydraulic needs for the area.

Public Works Director Dave Cubit told the council the large pump, that serves 500 to 750 residents - from Northwest 70th Avenue, the north end of Merle Hay Road, Beaver Drive to the north city limits - runs four days then half a day off.

After the half day, it must run another four days to refill the two million gallon tank.

"We would end up with one to two pumps needed to keep up with the demand," Cubit told the council. "A third would be used intermittently to cycle, then used as backup to extend the life of the pumps themselves."

Last summer's drought found Johnston and surrounding cities trying to conserve water.

If Johnston continues to experience drought conditions, it will cause an increase in water demand and consumption.

A pump failure in the Merle Hay Road Booster Station would create a situation where the water division would not be able to adequately serve the region of the city.

The need for the third back-up pump would reduce the risk of not being able to properly serve the Northwest Beaver Corridor.

City Councilman Tom Cope thanked Cubit and his staff, along with the water division, for being proactive on the issue.