Dyersville Upgrades for Growth

BY Origin Design

Designated one of the “50 Most Beautiful Small Towns in America” by Good Housekeeping Magazine, the City of Dyersville, Iowa, offers picturesque views and charm. It’s a growing community with new residential development and a strong tourist trade.

Even before Origin Design (Formerly IIW, P.C.) was founded in 1982, our employees were serving as the City’s primary engineer. Our latest project is scheduled for completion by July of 2017 and promises to serve the City’s more than 4,100 residents for several decades to come.

$4 Million Wastewater Treatment Facility Upgrade

The City of Dyersville’s original mechanical wastewater treatment facility (WWTF) was built in 2001. The upgraded plant will nearly double its treatment capacity and help to offset wastewater discharges to the North Fork Maquoketa River during flood events. These improvements will well-exceed the Iowa Department of Natural Resources requirements for the strength of wastewater entering the plant. The City was also able to leverage a $1 million U.S. Economic Development Administration grant for the project, offsetting the costs to its residents.

Located just southwest of the intersection of U.S. Highway 20 and Iowa Highway 136, passersby will soon see a new, white, locally sold ClearSpan building. The 300 by 65-foot fabric building will house clarifiers and a new ultraviolet (UV) light disinfection system, and will protect the equipment by preventing the formation of ice in the winter months.

New Treatment Process

The upgraded WWTF features a UV disinfection system that breaks the DNA chains in the bacteria, rendering them unable to reproduce. New regulations require disinfection of any remaining pathogenic microorganisms before discharge to the North Fork of the Maquoketa River. Treatment produces bacteria that eats pollutants. These are removed with nutrients and digested. The dewatered solids are able to be reused in agriculture due to their fertilizer value.

The City of Dyersville is a “beautiful small town in America” that is sustainably growing and prospering. This upgrade makes the plant more environmentally friendly, while also increasing the treatment capacity in the process – all of which are many important selling points to potential developers, businesses, and future residents as the City of Dyersville continues to foster sustainable economic growth well into the future.

Today, we remember and honor the courageous men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. Our offices will be closed Today, May 25th in observance of Memorial Day. We will return to normal business hours on Tuesday,

Happy National Accounting Professionals Day! Today we’re recognizing the team who keeps our finances clear and our business moving forward. Your insight helps guide decisions and supports our success every day. Thank you for all you do.

Yesterday, we were proud to serve as the Keynote Sponsor for East Central Iowa Council of Governments Local Government Recharge Day, featuring Kate Moreland. The afternoon was filled with meaningful connections and collaborative conversations among community leaders.

15 years of excellence! Congratulations to Nick Rettenberger on this amazing milestone. Your dedication inspires us every day!

Every project starts somewhere. Stay tuned next week for a three-part video series and see what architect, Zach Thielen has been up to!

Access to advanced healthcare close to home matters.Architect, Andrew Busch, and our team partnered with Jones Regional Medical Center to design a new, in-house MRI Suite that improves access, efficiency, and patient experience while planning for future growth. It’s another example of how collaboration and thoughtful design help communities thrive.Learn more about the project and the partnership behind it: https://origindesign.com/.../designing-for-what-matters...

On Friday, our survey crew fired up the grill, broke out the bean bag boards, and celebrated some big milestones, wrapping up a major field effort supporting the Catfish Creek Sewer Improvement / Middle Fork project, adding survey services to our Davenport office, and kicking off construction season the right way!From time in the field to time spent back at the office, it’s safe to say our crew knows how to get it done.

In April, we celebrated two incredible women who have left a lasting mark on Origin Design. Congratulations to Lynn, who devoted 31 years to our team and began her well-earned retirement at the beginning of the month, and Mary, who concluded an incredible 40-year journey with us yesterday.Their hard work, loyalty, and the relationships they built will remain a part of our story. We are grateful for the countless memories, dedication, and heart they have shared with us over the years.We wish Lynn and Mary the very best in retirement and thank them for their lasting impact on Origin Design!

Elevated tower or ground storage? Our Water Resources Team Leader, Marc Ruden, PE, recently shared a real-world case study from Spillville, Iowa at the AWWA Iowa Section Region 1 Operator’s Meeting.Learn what factors communities should consider when modernizing water storage systems on our blog. https://origindesign.com/.../elevated-water-tower-vs...

At Origin, giving back is part of who we are. On Friday, Engineering Designer Luke Althaus used his employee volunteer day to help Mrs. Althaus and her second grade classroom plant trees at Kennedy Elementary School. By offering every employee a dedicated volunteer day, we encourage giving back to meaningful causes and supporting the communities where we live and work.

Employee owned since 1999.

This Sunday, April 26, marks the anniversary of Origin Design becoming an ESOP. Recently, a few members of our team attended the NCEO Conference in Milwaukee, where we deepened our understanding of ESOP culture, leadership, sustainability, and employee engagement.

At Origin Design, employee ownership means more than a retirement benefit. It means building sustainable wealth, fostering leadership at every level, and investing in shared long term success.