The Ames Community School District has agreed to settle an almost $400,000 lawsuit for construction issues with the new high school.
The district said contamination from a geothermal system damaged the high school on Ridgewood Avenue, which opened in 2022.
The district will ultimately pay just under $98,000 for the damages, which was approved by the Ames School Board on May 5.
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Q.C. Geothermal, which will pay the district $220,000 for damages, was hired in 2019 to install the geothermal loop field and all exterior piping at the school.
Geothermal wells, used to heat and cool the high school, lower carbon emissions by 24% compared to the traditional HAVC system, according to Electric Services data cited in an Ames Tribune article. The wells tap into the natural geothermal energy beneath the surface of the earth, essentially using the earth itself to heat or cool a structure.
Ames High School’s students walk to their classes in the new school building during the first day of school Thursday, Aug. 25, 2022, in Ames, Iowa.
Ames CSD files suit in 2023
Construction of the new Ames High School started in 2019 and was finished three years later in 2022.
Ames CSD filed a petition in June 2023, accusing Q.C. of “(failing) to properly perform such work.” The district said they were forced to remove the contamination from the system, which allegedly cost $397,886 to fix.
In response, Q.C. Geothermal requested a third-party petition against ACI Mechanical, Inc. and Bruns Headering, Inc., who were also involved in the local geothermal project. ACI Mechanical will pay $30,000 for the damages and Bruns Headering will pay $50,000.
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According to court documents, the district hired ACI Mechanical to install all the school’s equipment and interior, and Bruns Headering was hired as a subcontractor by Q.C. Geothermal to perform the flushing of the exterior piping system.
A jury trial was initially scheduled for Feb. 3, 2026, but the parties “believe it is in their best interest to fully and finally settle their disputes,” according to school board documents.
New high school was nearly a 7-year process
A 2017 assessment of the former Ames High School, which initially opened in 1961, revealed problems with physical accessibility and circulation. The study revealed that “many additions and renovations have resulted in a facility that is sprawling, disjointed, and difficult to navigate,” according to Ames CSD documents. Building conditions also contributed to problems with security and supervision.
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In 2018, Ames voters passed a $137 million referendum to fund the construction of the current Ames High School. Athletic fields and other outdoor amenities were installed in 2023.
Celia Brocker is a government, crime, political and education reporter for the Ames Tribune. She can be reached at CBrocker@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Ames settles suit for geothermal issues at high school. What to know