Despite an increase in the amount of water being discharged from the dam at Lake Red Rock, the supply of drinking water for the City of Pella is not likely to be affected as it had been in previous high-water events in 1993 and 2008.

Pella Public Works Director Denny Buyert tells KNIA/KRLS News that while the pump motors have been pulled from the city’s shallow wells, the deeper, rainy well can keep running during a discharge as great as 104,000 cubic feet per second and will keep Pella well-supplied with clean water.

Buyert says once the rate of water discharged from the dam crosses 47,000 cubic feet per second, the shallow wells become inaccessible, but says workers can monitor the rainy well by boat.