Macbride Pointe (currently 26 homes) wants to hook onto Solon’s water to resolve its arsenic issue – illegally discharging its treated water into Lake Macbride.
The developers knew about this problem since their well was dug in 2015. Macbride Pointe was always a “future water problem.” They continued to build with the consent of Johnson County and Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) until they reached ‘Public Water Supply’ status – enabling them to seek State Revolving Fund (SRF) loan money (75% forgivable), and a hook-up to Solon. The developers didn’t attempt to spend money on the problem, and DNR encouraged the Solon hook-up.
The emails show this clearly.
Neither Johnson County nor DNR have plans to deal with the reoccurring arsenic problems west of Solon. The County issues building permits and collects taxes, septic system discharge enters the watershed, DNR “monitors” until the EPA reacts, and now it becomes Solon’s problem to supply safe water. No, thank you. Solon is being used by the developers, the County and DNR.
For Gallery Acres West, Solon was told to be “Iowa nice” and hook them up with water. Now we’re getting vague suggestions of our “environmental responsibility” to our fringe area developments, regarding Macbride Pointe and others.
GAW & Macbride Pointe don’t pay Solon property taxes. They contribute nothing to pay Solon’s $37 million new sewer debt. Their government is Johnson County, which gets their taxes. Solon has no responsibility or obligation to resolve these rural water problems. We are being used by the developers, County, and State, who are making money off our naiveté.
Somebody needs to solve these water problems – environmental, public health, legal – and it’s not Solon.
Our responsibility is to Solon residents, to protect our water and infrastructure and tax payments. This little town of 3000+ people can’t be responsible for the financial, legal, and technical issues involved in supplying clean water to 40+ homes west of town on a lake. We’re being manipulated & used to subsidize rural development.
We received no information from the City, Council, or Utility Committee (which keeps no minutes). Remember GAW? The City and Utility Committee negotiated with GAW’s engineer, our engineer and DNR for over a year before we were informed. This is happening again. Utility Committee needs to take minutes and post them on Solon’s web site. City needs to make relevant emails and material available for public. Council needs to hold a public hearing.
The issue here includes Solon’s negotiations with DNR re: the 8” pipe for GAW. Solon wanted the larger pipe for its own development with Watts (Trail Ridge). SRF loans allowed 6” pipe. Solon ended up with the 8” pipe and jurisdiction over the line in the expanded limits of Solon. In exchange, GAW consented to a Watts connection with no charge.
Did Solon make other agreements re: Macbride Pointe? Did we make any legal commitment? If so, where are the agreements? Can the Council refuse this hook-up?
This hook-up will impact our taxes, water infrastructure, wells, sludge, ground water storage tank, and C. I. P. We’ve heard nothing. On August 10, 2016, Solon’s engineer, Dave Schechinger, wrote regarding the GAW hook-up – (14 homes) that “the additional demand placed on the system by connecting GAW will be nearly equivalent to one year’s growth for the City. This is a concern as it pushes up the C. I. P. schedule by one year and will require the City to budget accordingly.”
Adding Macbride Pointe will almost triple the water we send. We have no information on the impact of these hook-ups on our infrastructure and the need for replacements. This is truly outrageous. How could anyone make a decision of such magnitude, without any information?
The availability of potable water for rural development is a new water problem. As EPA tightens levels of permitted chemicals, and PFAs (Forever Chemicals) begin appearing in rural wells – developers will seek city hook-ups, even annexations. Water and sewer treatment will be more expensive and complex.
An argument can be made that …”rural development, as we know it, is over.”
The release of Johnson County’s ground water (Silurian) aquifer study in May 2025, changes everything for all of us. This report on the status of our main (Johnson County, Solon) water sources tells us:
Continued population growth has increased water use over 25% since 2006 model.
The recharge rate for most of the area is .23 centimeters of water per year.
Aquifer storage is “relatively minor” and projected to decrease.
We are dealing with a “FINITE” resource.
We now begin to study our water, working together and realizing our responsibility to protect it, to never take it for granted, to never waste it… to protect it. Our water is finite. That is the most powerful argument we have regarding Solon’s water.
We’ll protect it.