The tallest water tower of its kind in the nation is now completed and ready to serve the Lewis and Clark Regional Water System.
The water tower is located in Beresford. It will serve Sioux Center, Hull and Sheldon, Iowa.
Troy Larson is the executive director of Lewis and Clark Regional Water System (LCRWS). He said Beresford was the ideal location because of its topography.
"You need a high spot for water towers, and if you drive north or south of Beresford, it's kind of a high point," Larson said.
The water tower holds 2.5 million gallons of water and is the tallest in the nation, standing at 220 feet.
"There are hundreds of 2.5 million gallon water towers out there, but ours is the tallest," Larson said.
According to Larson, the height is needed to effectively push the water to Sioux Center, which is 33 miles away from Beresford.
The project faced some challenges during construction. Larson said the team had to change the foundation for the tower, after discovering soil that was incompatible with the original plan.
In May, a derecho, which is a fast-moving windstorm, hit the Beresford area and set the project back with minor damages.
Construction was completed in November. Before the tower can be used, 33 miles of pipeline between Sioux Center and Beresford must be pigged, flushed and disinfected, along with nine miles between Sioux Center and Hull, Iowa.
LCRWS anticipate the pipes will be disinfected and ready for use by early January.
