Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) Well Project
Public Open House
The Urbandale Water Utility will host a public open house to provide residents and community members with an opportunity to learn more about the ASR project. Residents are invited to stop by anytime during the open house to view project displays, learn more about the ASR project, ask questions, and speak with UWU representatives and members of the project team.
Date: Thursday, September 17, 2026
Time: 6:00–7:30 p.m.
Location: Radiant Elementary School – Commons Room 506
Address: 5050 170th St., Urbandale, IA 50323
Residents are welcome to attend at any time during the open house.
Project Information
The City of Urbandale continues to experience residential and economic growth, resulting in increased water demand. The Urbandale Water Utility (UWU) is committed to ensuring that both current and future water needs are met by the community’s water supply system.
To support this goal, UWU is planning the construction of a new Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) well and associated support facilities at the 170th Street Water Tower in northwestern Urbandale. The ASR well will allow UWU to store treated water underground in an aquifer during periods of lower water demand and recover that water during periods of peak usage. The system will provide the capacity to store hundreds of millions of gallons of treated water underground, providing an important tool to help manage peak water demands.
The project will strengthen Urbandale’s water system reliability, drought resilience, and long-term water supply, while supporting continued residential and economic growth and helping maintain long-term water rate stability. The project will also provide increased water supply resiliency for the region through UWU’s participation in Central Iowa Water Works.
Project Construction
The ASR project will be constructed under two separate contracts:
- Contract 1 – ASR Well Drilling: This contract will include construction of the approximately 2,500-foot-deep ASR well. Well drilling is anticipated to involve continuous operation of heavy equipment and may result in increased noise. Drilling activities are anticipated to occur over several months and may operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Contract 1 is anticipated to start in winter of 2026.
- Contract 2 – ASR Building and Site Improvements: This contract will include construction of the well control building and installation of the chemical feed, electrical, mechanical, and other equipment necessary to operate the ASR facility, along with associated site improvements. Contract 2 is anticipated to start in Fall of 2027.
Construction of the new well is not anticipated to have any direct effects on neighboring homes or properties. However, UWU recognizes that well drilling and other construction activities will create additional noise. The Utility will require the project contractor to implement appropriate noise mitigation measures to minimize impacts to nearby residents.
Project Background
UWU completed preliminary engineering for the project in 2024, and final engineering and design have continued as the project advances toward construction.
The ASR project is being coordinated with Central Iowa Water Works, a regional water authority serving the Des Moines metropolitan area. As a member of Central Iowa Water Works, UWU’s ASR project will contribute to regional water availability, reliability, and resiliency.
UWU appreciates the community’s understanding and support as we work to complete this important long-term investment in Urbandale’s water system.
If you have questions concerning the project, please contact Matthew Jacob, Distribution Manager, at 515-331-6836 or mjacob@urbandalewater.org.