City of North Liberty receives urban water award

March 16, 2011 — On Tuesday, March 8, the City of North Liberty was recognized for its outstanding performance related to protecting and improving urban water quality. Guy Goldsmith, Parks Building and Grounds Director (pictured right), and Ryan Heiar, City Administrator (pictured center), traveled to Ames where they received the award from Pat Sauer (pictured left) of the Iowa Stormwater Education Program.
The 2011 award recognizes the City of North Liberty for their efforts to protect and improve urban watershed quality in Iowa. The city transformed an unsightly, privately-owned, parcel of land into the newest park in North Liberty, Cornerstone Park Nature Area. The passive park connects three sidewalks using pervious concrete to promote infiltrative water quality techniques.
Plans for the upcoming Penn Meadows Rain Gardens Parking project were also noted in the recognition.  The Penn Meadows Rain Gardens project will begin this summer, and the plans include a pervious concrete paving system, rain gardens, modified bio-retention cell, and infiltration system.
North Liberty’s state-of-the-art wastewater treatment process, and the creation and adoption of a water quality focused Post-Construction Stormwater Runoff Control Ordinance were also noted among the City’s honorable effort to protect and improve urban water quality.
The City was nominated by Kevin Trom of Shive-Hattery, Inc.