Amana Water Updates Provide Reliable Source

The Amana water system was on the verge of catastrophic well failure due to screen collapse in decades-old wells. Improvements in the form of new wells were urgently needed. Consideration of the entire water system meant that new raw water piping and other improvements would also be required to support the new well field.

The Amana water system entailed the drilling of 30 exploratory borings along the Iowa River valley to identify a favorable location to develop an approximate 400 GPM well field. The aquifer along the valley is generally less than 25 feet thick which makes high yield well construction difficult to achieve. To attain the desired capacity, the wells were designed using high flow screens that lower groundwater flow velocity into the well, which in turn reduces drawdown and increases well efficiency.

Well design also factored in natural hydrogeologic conditions to provide sustained recharge and wellhead protection. A well spacing of 400 feet was determined to mitigate drawdown interference among the wells. Aquifer conditions and property access dictated the wells be developed in two (2) distinct well fields: one in High Amana (three 65 GPM wells) and one in Middle Amana (three (3) 75 GPM wells).

The new well fields provide the Amana System with a reliable source of supply, including firm capacity, to serve the five (5) Amana colonies that are located north of the Iowa River.