Waterloo Public Works Open House Set For Wed. May 22nd

Here's something your kids aren't able to do everyday. Take a ride on the City’s heavy equipment!

In honor of National Public Works Week, the public is invited to an open house and heavy equipment demonstration on Wednesday, May 22nd, from 3:00pm to 7:00pm at the City’s Public Works facility, 625 Glenwood Street, Waterloo.

The celebration will draw attention to the critical roles that public works play in the City’s economy and the daily lives of citizens. This family-friendly event is free and will feature a variety of fun activities for kids.

Visitors will be offered a unique behind-the-scenes look at the skills, tools and equipment required to maintain the city's infrastructure and provide daily services. In addition to facilities tours, visitors will have an opportunity to ride on heavy equipment including graders, sweepers, garbage trucks, lift trucks and more. Children must be accompanied by an adult and will be provided proper safety equipment during their visit. Special arrangements will be made for groups wishing to tour earlier that day.

The Waterloo Public Works Departments is comprised of 79 Employees across five divisions: Street Department; Sanitation Department; Traffic Operations; Animal Control Services; and City Fleet Management Department. These divisions provide specialized community services, efficiently and responsibly caring for:

• 920 centerline miles of roadway
• 198 traffic signals
• 1,800 street lights and thousands of signs
• 160 miles of line striping and pavement marking
• 277 miles of sidewalk
• 548 pieces of equipment and vehicles combined, including automobiles, mowers, trucks of every description, snowplows, street sweepers, fire trucks, ambulances, and police cars.
• Provide fuel distribution including Black Hawk County and Waterloo Schools.
• Installation of energy saving LED lighting
• Continuous traffic safety improvements

As part of the celebration, Mayor Quentin Hart will be filling pot holes with Public Works employees on Monday the 20th. “I am impressed by the dedication and work ethic of Waterloo Public Works employees,” says Hart. “The jobs they perform day in day out, are often taken for granted and over-looked. I encourage the public to attend the open house and join me in thanking them for making our daily lives easier.”