Most of us take for granted the miracle of engineering that allows water to flow through pipes and out of our faucets whenever we turn on the tap. For Shelli Lovell, who serves as general manager of the Marshalltown Water Works, the process of turning groundwater into drinking water is a 24/7 enterprise.

Lovell has 30 years experience working in the water industry in Iowa. A native of Cedar Falls, she became head of the Marshalltown Water Works in November 2018, working out of its office at 205 E. State St. However, she makes frequent visits to the water plant north of town to oversee operations.

“One of the most important things I do is make sure staff have what they need to do their jobs,” she said. “I supervise 20 total employees.”

Founded in 1876, the Marshalltown Water Works serves the needs of commercial and residential properties in the city. In addition, it sells water to a rural water provider, Iowa Regional Utilities Association.

T-R PHOTO BY SARA JORDAN-HEINTZ
Water is pumped to the treatment plant where it first goes through aeration to remove iron, radon and hydrogen sulfide. It then travels to the softening basin for removal of the excess hardness and the remaining iron. The water is then pH adjusted and flows to sand filters, where any remaining tiny particles are removed. Chlorine is added as a disinfectant and fluoride is added to prevent tooth decay, before being pumped to the distribution system.

The $4.5 million operational budget covers the expense of staffing, chemicals, electricity and maintenance. It produces 6-10 million gallons of treated water per day. The summer months can increase the demand for water.

“When operators are watching from that remote screen, where they can see the water tower levels, they’re able to decide how much water they need to put through the plant,” Lovell said. “There is a maximum of 12 million gallons per day that can be treated. If those tower levels are dropping, the operators will know people are using more water, so they’ll turn on more wells and treat more water at the plant.”

Lovell holds a Bachelor of Science degree in microbiology from San Diego State University. After taking a job in a laboratory, she decided to instead pursue work that allowed for more social interaction. She moved back to Iowa and secured employment with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources as an environmental specialist. Her duties included inspecting underground gasoline storage tanks, landfills and drinking water supplies. She investigated open dumps in fields and ravines and manure runoff problems in streams.

After 12 years with the IDNR she took a position with the Cedar Rapids Water Department as the administrative affairs manager.

The Marshalltown Water Works is run by a board of three trustees appointed by the mayor, but the board is the controlling body. While sewer and storm water charges show up on your utility bill, those aren’t services performed by the Water Works company.

Keeping rates affordable for consumers is important, as is drawing commercial industry that would be interested in opening up a business in Marshalltown.

The city’s water supply — groundwater — is sourced from nine deep wells located on the north side of the Iowa River, drawing water from the Mississippian and Pleistocene Aquifers. However the water is not sourced from the Iowa River itself.

“There are more risks associated with surface water than groundwater, as far as microorganisms, which you find more in surface waters,” she said.

Water is pumped to the treatment plant where it first goes through aeration to remove iron, radon and hydrogen sulfide. It then travels to the softening basin for removal of the excess hardness and the remaining iron. The water is then pH adjusted and flows to sand filters, where any remaining tiny particles are removed. Chlorine is added as a disinfectant and fluoride is added to prevent tooth decay, before being pumped to the distribution system.

Marshalltown Water Works staff collect samples hourly at the water plant and daily from the distribution system at various locations around the city. Data is recorded on log sheets and put into the computer.

Lovell said water is pumped from storage basins out into the distribution system. There’s enough pressure from those pumps to pump the water up into the water towers. When the pumps aren’t running, the pressure in the distribution system is maintained by the weight of that water sitting up in those towers, pushing down on the network of pipes all the time, so when you turn on the faucet, the pressure is there behind the water to push it out for your usage.

“If you picture the holes of a sponge, an aquifer is something like that,” she said. “You pull water from pore to pore to the well, so you can pump it out of the ground. It’s more a connection of these little openings and not an underground flowing river.”

Marshalltown is the recipient of the “Best Tasting Water in Iowa” award from the Iowa Section of the American Water Works Association in 2008, 2009 and 2016.

“One of the things a mentor taught me early on is we’re in the public health business. It’s critical that people in this field realize the work we do is protecting public health — making sure the water is safe to drink. It’s not that way everywhere in the world. When you take that seriously, it makes it a lot easier to do the right things for the right reasons,” Lovell said.

Traditionally, water works has been a male-dominated industry. She said getting girls interested in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) has helped draw people who otherwise may not have chosen this type of career pathway.

“I like math and science and I love working with people; this career field allows me the perfect blend,” she said. “I love the people I work with. They’re dedicated to providing the best water quality they can.”