Scheduled water shutoff set for Lochedem, Highview next Tuesday

Water will go off in the Lochedem and Highview area of Storm Lake next Tuesday morning for about four hours as contractors make utility connections for Buena Vista Regional Medical Center’s expansion. The shutdown begins at 8 a.m. Tuesday, June 16, and city officials say it is the first of two planned interruptions tied to the hospital project.

The outage affects 1519 and 1601 Lochedem Drive and 804, 805, 808, 811, 812, 815, 817 and 818 Highview Drive. Residents in those homes should plan ahead by storing water for drinking, cooking and basic household use before the work starts, since the interruption is expected to last until about noon.

A boil advisory is expected to follow the shutoff and is anticipated to be lifted by late Thursday afternoon for the affected properties. During that period, water used for drinking, cooking and brushing teeth should be boiled before use until the advisory is cleared.

The temporary disruption reflects the scale of Storm Lake’s water system and the kind of work required when a major facility is added to it. The city says its water department maintains the system 24/7/365, and the network includes 82.40 miles of pipe, more than 3,900 service connections, close to 500 fire hydrants and over 4,000 water meters. Even a short tie-in can affect a small cluster of homes when crews are connecting new infrastructure to the existing grid.

For Buena Vista Regional Medical Center, the utility work is part of a larger expansion now taking shape on the hospital campus. The new medical office building is planned at about 30,000 square feet and carries an estimated cost of roughly $20 million. BVRMC says the project will bring UnityPoint Clinic Family Medicine providers and the BVRMC Pharmacy together in one modern space north of the current main entrance, with expanded service areas and a drive-up window for the pharmacy.

Hospital leaders broke ground on the project Tuesday, May 5, and construction is expected to be finished in 2027. BVRMC has said no new taxes will be requested from the community, framing the building as a long-term investment in care access for Storm Lake and the surrounding area. For nearby residents, next week’s water shutoff is the immediate sign that the project has moved from planning into the hands-on work of connecting the new facility to the city system.