Sioux Center is moving forward with plans for a new one-million-gallon water tower as city officials prepare for continued community growth and increasing water demand.
The Sioux Center City Council recently approved moving ahead with the design and bid process for the project, which is expected to be constructed near the Walmart and Sioux Pharm area. Completion is currently targeted for 2028.
City officials say the new tower will significantly expand Sioux Center’s elevated water storage capacity while improving reliability, water pressure, and fire protection capabilities across the community.
Sioux Center currently operates two water towers with a combined elevated storage capacity of about 650,000 gallons, along with an additional 300,000 gallons of storage at the city’s water treatment plant. Officials say the city’s growing water demand and future growth plans make additional elevated storage increasingly important.
Officials noted Sioux Center’s peak daily water usage recently reached approximately 1.8 million gallons.
Planning for Future Growth
Council members and staff emphasized the project is designed not only to meet current needs, but also to prepare Sioux Center for long-term residential, commercial, and industrial growth.
During discussion on the project, officials compared a smaller 750,000-gallon option with the larger one-million-gallon tower before ultimately supporting the larger design.
“For three hundred thousand, I would go with a million,” Mayor Dale Vander Berg said during the discussion, referencing the relatively small cost difference between the two options.
Officials also noted water towers are long-term infrastructure investments that often remain in service for decades.
“You don’t do these projects very often,” Vander Berg added.
The city’s Water Department currently serves more than 2,600 homes and businesses.
Improving Reliability and Water Supply
City leaders say the taller water tower will also improve Sioux Center’s ability to utilize water from the Lewis & Clark Regional Water System, particularly during dry periods and times of high demand.
Long-term planning discussions also included the possibility of eventually increasing the height of the city’s existing towers and replacing the oldest tower, which dates back to the 1960s.
The project is part of broader efforts to continue modernizing Sioux Center’s utility infrastructure as the community continues to grow.
Bid Well Below Other Proposals
Council members awarded the project bid to Caldwell Tanks of Louisville, Kentucky.
Meeting discussion indicated Caldwell Tanks submitted a bid of nearly $4 million, significantly lower than the other accepted proposals, which officials noted exceeded $5.6 million.
The council approved moving forward with the project following a public hearing and bid review process.
