(Radio Iowa) – Dubuque is rolling out a new flood-fighting pump system that was tested by researchers at the University of Iowa. The system will include four pumps, with each being capable of removing 100-thousand gallons of water a minute from flooded areas, doubling the city’s current capacity. Jim Bousley is Dubuque’s project manager and says making sure there are sufficient backup pumps in case one fails is a key reason for the project.

“So as that detention basin goes up during a storm event, to have the ability to make sure that goes down quickly, and can be pumped quickly without any issues is a huge thing,” Bousley says, “because if you don’t, there are other parts of Dubuque that could be affected by flooding, possibly, if those pumps fail.” Troy Lyons is the associate director of the U-I’s hydroscience and engineering program, and he was hired to evaluate the pump system and make sure it meets national standards.

“This pump station has four pumps,” Lyons says, “and that’s, for one, to provide redundancy, but also to provide the peak amount of flow that’s needed to keep the water levels down in Dubuque during a flood event.” Flooding in Dubuque has damaged more than 13-hundred homes and businesses in recent decades and city leaders are preparing for projected increases in rainfall in the future.

The 26-million-dollar pump system is expected to be operational by August of 2027.