Upgrades to Cedar Rapids Water Pollution Control Facility to start in November

CEDAR RAPIDS — Construction of a $348 million project to modernize the city’s wastewater treatment — a draw for development — and to curb its environmental impact will begin with a groundbreaking in November, fueled by federal funding under the bipartisan infrastructure law.

The project — largely financed through the State Revolving Fund — is one of the largest such loans in Iowa history, Bruno Pigott, acting assistant administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, said Thursday during a city celebration of the project.

The funding will go toward replacing “outdated“ and ”obsolete“ technology now being used at the Water Pollution Control Facility in southeast Cedar Rapids near the Cedar River.

Cedar Rapids Utilities Director Roy Hesemann said the new technology will do an “equally good job in a different way.” Customers should not see a difference in their water under the improvements, he said.

“We been working for the last nine years developing a program to replace a lot of aging infrastructure that has reached the end of its life,” he said.

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One upgrade will allow the facility to treat the equal amount of wastewater as its does now but with a smaller environmental footprint, Hesemann said. Another upgrade will be that the wastewater stream will go through anaerobic digesters, which will do a better job cleaning the water coming into the facility.

Pigott, who called the system “invisible infrastructure,” said this project’s use of anaerobic digesters sets Cedar Rapids apart from other cities.

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“What makes Cedar Rapids’ effort unique is the fact that it's recapturing these gasses that otherwise would just go up into the air, and it allows them to transform these gasses into natural gas that powers our homes, our businesses and so forth,” Pigott said. “It's really helping Cedar Rapids move to a net-zero wastewater treatment facility.”

With the groundbreaking in November, Hesemann said construction is anticipated to end in 2029.

Cedar Rapids Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell said the efforts will help make Cedar Rapids a “hub for industry, a reliable partner for businesses of any size” and a “destination for families.”

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“Our industries rely heavily on water and wastewater services to function every day,” O’Donnell said during the celebration. “Thousands of jobs (and) millions of dollars of economic activity rely on this facility and others. The dollars that we spend here are an indicator of the strength and resilience of our city, and what we continue to show we can deliver for the deserving citizens of our community.”

The investment is one portion of the $11.5 billion allotted nationwide in 2024 to State Revolving Funds under the bipartisan infrastructure law signed by President Joe Biden. In all, the EPA is investing $50 billion to strengthen drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure nationwide.

The city plans to use a mix of sources to fund this project. That includes federal grants and tax credits, and the city hopes to claim another $15 to $16 million in federal tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act.

Cedar Rapids has $36.7 million cash in hand to use toward the project, while $318.7 million would be covered by issuing new debt. Cedar Rapids will rely on a 20- to 30-year loan through the State Revolving Fund. The city has been increasing rates for consumers in recent years in anticipation of having to pay for the upgrades.

Iowa's Clean Water State Revolving Fund works to offer loans to assist in financing design and construction of publicly-owned wastewater treatment facilities, sewer rehabilitation, stormwater quality improvements and nonpoint source water quality improvements. The program is jointly administered by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Iowa Finance Authority.

The Water Pollution Control Facility was built in the late 1970s and became operational in 1980. It serves an area with a population of about 190,000, including Cedar Rapids, Marion, Hiawatha, Robins and Palo. Hesemann has said the facility treats the population equivalent of about 1.9 million people, since it also treats water for industries.

Pigott said “a variety of other cities” in Iowa are receiving funding as well to improve water treatment, but did not say which.

Pigott said the role of water is “very real and very active” in the American experience.

“Working together, we're making a huge difference. A huge difference is going to ensure the quality of our life for all the residents and businesses in Cedar Rapids,” Pigott said.

“Benefits like this prove that government works for people when we make investments like the one we've made here today; we're strengthening public health, we're creating jobs, we're powering economic development, we're protecting vibrant ecosystems. It's a win-win-win.”

Olivia Cohen covers energy and environment for The Gazette and is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues.

Comments: (319) 398-8370; olivia.cohen@thegazette.com