The City of Postville was recognized during the 2021 virtual Iowa Water Conference in April for their achievement in installing numerous green infrastructure practices within the community and partnership efforts with the Northeast Iowa RC & D in the creation of a stormwater demonstration site. Practices were designed by Jon Biederman at Fehr Graham.  Postville’s mayor Leigh Rekow received the award joined by Jon Biederman and Tori Nimrod from Northeast Iowa RC & D.

The project included converting a high traffic crushed stone parking lot with direct runoff to storm sewer to permeable paver surfacing (YMCA parking lot), constructing enhanced rain gardens that collect significant amount of street runoff (West Greene Street and Arthur F Brandt Drive), and addressing runoff from a one acre downtown commercial lot owned by Northeast Iowa R C and D through the creation of a demonstration site that included permeable paver parking, and patio areas; rain gardens; an infiltration trench; bioswale; soil amendments; and native plantings.

The community is commended on their effort to protect and improve local water quality.