The City of Adel, much like the rest of Dallas County, is growing at a rapid pace.

The growth has largely been to the east of the City, so it’s become imperative to improve the infrastructure in the area. To that end, earlier this year Adel began a sanitary sewer extension project to bring sewer service to what will become the City’s eastern annex area. McClure Engineering, the firm in charge of the project, has requested funds on the City’s behalf from two different entities. One is the United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Fund, and the other is the State Revolving Fund program through the Department of Natural Resources.

Adel is confident they will receive at least one of the two grants they’ve applied for, and thanks to a recent agreement with Dallas County their chances have likely increased. The County, which is wanting to hook into the sewer extension for the new law enforcement center, has promised $600,000 in funds from the $22.9 million bond referendum. The money was originally earmarked for an expansion to the Ortonville lagoon, but the Board of Supervisors agreed with Adel City officials it would be more prudent to put that money towards the sewer extension project. Additionally, the Supervisors agreed to allocate $359,170 to cover connection costs for the lagoon’s current users, which will be paid back to the County.

In exchange for the County’s help, the City has agreed to waive the connection fee for the law enforcement center, which was estimated to be $243,250. The City also agreed to rebate $2,000 per acre for potential future hook ups on the land where there’s currently no development. The timeline for the sewer extension project fits alongside the law enforcement center construction, and Adel officials have promised the County it will be operational before the facility is set to open.