by Mari Radtke
A boil advisory was issued briefly for Sutherland on Wednesday March 18. Households experienced low or no water pressure. The initial cause was the water tower was emptied. Officials responded and found the water tower empty. The strange event prompted the Sutherland Mayor, Tyler Draper, a plumber by trade, to look into the former care center on the other side of town.
The water tower can hold 150,000 gallons of water. Absent a leak in the tower or emergency use such as a fire, such a loss would have to have another cause. Draper considered other significant draws on water throughout the community and chose to look at the former care center, most recently and Aspire property and owned by Sutherland Property Holdings, LLC, on the other side of town.
Water running out the back doors and into the creek running along the north side of the property was found. The outside connection to the facility main was turned off. Then the shut off to the fire suppression system was also shut off, finally halting the continual flow of water out the doors.
According to Draper, the fire suppression system has a direct hook up to the water feed before the water tower. The draw, and a lower elevation that added force to the flow, prevented the water tower from properly refilling, bringing about the water emergency. The boil advisory was issued for an abundance of caution until the proper quantity was reached. The current estimate of the water used due to the fire suppression system being set off in an unused building is between 220,000 and 240,000 gallons.
A standard fire suppression system is normally filled (pressurized) with air, not water. The water flow is typically activated when the seal of the system is broken which activates water flow. The systems also are typically equipped with a fire alarm. No alarm went off in the case of Aspire of Sutherland on March 18.

Coincidentally, the Primghar City Council just discussed the condition of the Aspire Primghar property. During their regular meeting it was noted that the property used by Aspire as a long term care facility and owned by Primghar Property Holdings, LLC, also recently suffered a large water leak. According to Primghar Fire Chief Cory Crouch, an alarm went off to alert fire officials that the fire suppression system was activated. City Clerk Jaynee Rushton showed a picture of the basement of the facility taken, presumably during that response. She said it was estimated that there were over 100,000 gallons of water in there at that time.
Sutherland Property Holdings, LLC and Primghar Property Holdings, LLC were incorporated in Georgia in 2021 with their prinicipal business office in Atlanta, GA. Their registered agent in Iowa is C T Corporation System in Des Moines. The two holding companies were registered with the Iowa Secreatary of State minutes apart, according to public records.
C T Corporation System is a Delaware corporation was incorporated on September 5, 1936 according to the Iowa Secretary of State online information. It’s principal office is located in New York, NY. The registered agent for C T Corporation System in Iowa is Joel Kissell at 400 Court Avenue in Des Moines.
Other Aspire facilities in Iowa and currently operating include Aspire of Estherville and Aspire of Perry. Closed Aspire facilities easily identified include Primghar, Sutherland, Lake Park, Donnellson and Washington. All the properties owners of the Aspire facilities are “City name” Property Holdings, LLC. All have the same registered agent.