SANITARY SEWER UTILITY EASEMENT ON STATE OF IOWA PROPERTY
Iowa State University (ISU) and the City are partnering to locate the future Fire Station 2 on ISU property along State Avenue. Recent site design work revealed that a direct connection to the existing sanitary main north of College Creek is infeasible because Iowa Department of Natural Resources' depth requirements for creek crossings place the northern main too high to accommodate a gravity-flow system.
To achieve a proper gravity connection, the optimal solution is to route the station's service to the existing sanitary main on the east side of State Avenue, where the sewer drops in elevation before passing beneath the creek. Because this distance exceeds a standard service run, the City proposes constructing a new 8-inch sanitary main along State Avenue as part of the 2027 State Avenue reconstruction project, enabling Fire Station 2's service line to extend eastward beneath State Avenue and tie directly into this new main.
Through close coordination with Iowa State University staff, the City evaluated multiple alternative connection routes for this new main and determined that the optimal alignment would run along the east side of State Avenue and tie into an existing manhole north of the creek. The elevation drop here ensures proper gravity flow for the proposed 8-inch sanitary sewer.
Because this connection requires crossing ISU property near College Creek, the proposed easement will formally authorize this utility placement. The easement documents have been prepared and are attached. Once City Council approval is obtained, the easement will be presented to the Board of Regents for consideration.
- Approve the Sanitary Sewer Utility Easement on State of Iowa property.
- Do not approve the Sanitary Sewer Utility Easement on State of Iowa property and direct staff to find an alternate route for the Sanitary Sewer.
The sanitary sewer addressed by this proposed easement would provide a service connection point for Fire Station 2 along State Ave. This alignment provides the best routing to allow a gravity flow sanitary sewer service for the new Fire Station 2. Therefore, it is the recommendation of the City Manager that the City Council adopt Alternative No. 1, as noted above.