In This Issue:

• Sustainability at Home
• Water Quality In Action
• Fire Station No. 2 Relocation
• Smart Energy Updates
• Events
• What We're Reading

Visit us online at cityofames.org/sustainability

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We are excited to partner with Green Iowa Americorps to provide no-cost energy audits and weatherization services to all Ames residents. This program can help conserve energy, save money on your utility bills, and maintain a more comfortable home. After an initial energy audit, the weatherization could include air sealing and caulking around leaky doors and windows, insulating water pipes, weatherstripping, LED lights, and more, depending on what your home needs.  Learn more at greeniowaamericorps.org/energyaudit.

Today is your last chance to give input and help shape the residential curbside recycling program. A new Resource Recovery and Recycling Campus (R3C) is being developed to handle solid waste, recyclables, and yard waste. This change is necessary because the current waste-to-energy process will no longer be an option after 2027. The city will instead transition to a transfer station and landfilling operation. Recycling will play a crucial role in reducing waste. Learn more about the future of trash in Ames on our website.

Hear from Lisa Kuehl, a volunteer on the Ames Pollinator-Friendly Community Task Force, about the importance of pollinators and how to get involved with the community 10-year Pollinator Plan.

🐝Article: More bees, please - creating a pollinator-friendly Ames!

The Ames Water Pollution Control Facility (WPCF) treats all of the wastewater from Ames homes and businesses, including Iowa State University, as well as for the City of Kelley. The Ames facility holds the record for environmental compliance that is the second-longest in the nation. In fact, the facility, which began operation in 1989, has never violated its discharge permit. But as good as the facility is at the things it was designed to do, it cannot remove nutrients as efficiently as the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy now requires.

The WPCF is currently underway with the first of two phases of construction that will allow it to achieve the goals of the Nutrient Reduction Strategy. This first phase includes a $59.7 million upgrade to its treatment process to begin the transition to an innovative biological nutrient removal process that will ultimately cut its nitrogen discharge by 67% and its phosphorus discharge by 75%. The main purpose of the new standards is to prevent pollutants from traveling down the Mississippi, where they can cause dead zones, specifically in the Gulf of Mexico.

Energy efficiency was a key design consideration for the new treatment system. One example is the use of a large bubble mixing system instead of traditional propeller-style mixers. This requires fewer motors, has a higher energy efficiency, and a lower construction cost. The Administration Building will ultimately be LEED-certified, making use of multiple energy and water-saving designs, including an ultra-efficient HVAC system.

Edge of Field Solutions

Photos - Prairie Valley Wetland, a 74-acre wetland conversion, pictured during and after construction. This new ecosystem treats water from a drainage district tile before flowing into Ioway Creek upstream of Ames (Above). Woodchips are placed in a bioreactor. We’ve worked with local landowners to install over 50 of these edge of field projects that help filter out pollutants and protect waterways (Right).

The Ioway Creek Restoration Project in Brookside Park is back on track after a rainy summer delayed progress. The 3,000-foot effort between 6th and 13th Streets will stabilize creek banks, improve water quality, and enhance wildlife habitat using natural materials and native plantings. Major construction is expected to wrap up this winter, with landscaping finished by spring.

Project highlights:

• Stabilizes a 40-foot failing slope by relocating 500’ of the creek
• Adds boulder features to protect banks and improve fish habitat
• Replaces invasive plants with a native landscape for wildlife
• Improves water quality with a new oxbow and erosion control
• Enhances public viewing and engagement opportunities
• Repairs storm sewer infrastructure discharging to the creek

👉 Read more about the Ioway Creek Restoration Project

The City of Ames is moving forward with plans to relocate Fire Station No. 2 from its current location on Welch Avenue to a new site along State Avenue. A bond referendum will appear on the Tuesday, Nov. 4 ballot. There are many reasons to relocate, including the age of the current station (over 50 years), enhanced community safety, and improved emergency response times.

To promote sustainability, the City Council decided to include net-zero readiness in the facility's design. Net zero ready is a sustainable design principle where a building is so efficient that if solar panels are installed, it would generate more energy than it uses over a year. While these upgrades increase the up-front cost, the investment will reduce operating costs and cut pollution in alignment with the community Climate Action Plan. The facility will use efficient windows, added insulation, and a geothermal system to achieve this, harnessing energy from the earth to reduce heating and cooling costs by over 50%.

Learn more about Fire Station No. 2 Relocation on our website. 

The Smart Energy rebate program offered by Ames Electric Services has been critical in reducing energy consumption for Ames residents. The program offers rebates for refrigerators, HVAC systems, electric vehicle chargers, solar panels, and much more. This year, thanks to your participation, we have reduced annual energy consumption by an estimated 275 megawatt-hours (MWh), resulting in over $25,000 in utility bill savings. This amount of energy savings is equivalent to the electricity used by 30 homes for the entire year!

The City of Ames Electric Services has updated its solar panel rebate, providing $500 per kilowatt installed on new solar systems, an exciting increase from the $100 previously offered. To speak in terms of an average roof, households typically install solar panel systems that are between 4 and 7 kilowatts. That’s $2,000 to $3,500 back to you! For any excess electricity generated, Ames Electric Services will purchase it from you at a set rate per kilowatt. This rate is determined every January.

We had a great time at Brookside Park on Saturday, Sept 13^th, celebrating the park’s 100^th birthday. There were plenty of activities, tables of information, displays, ice cream, Ames water, an electric vehicle display, and ribbon-cutting to celebrate a new fire department-themed playground. Photo: ISU PRISM Solar Car.

We enjoyed seeing you at EcoVision on Saturday, Sept 27th at the Library. This event was organized by EcoTips, an organization formed by Ames High School students and a recipient of our Youth Climate Action Grants. There were many local booths, food, and fun activities focused on sustainability. It's amazing to hear about all the sustainable initiatives led by local organizations and ISU students.