Sanitary Sewer

The Public Works & Engineering Departments are responsible for monitoring and maintaining the City’s sanitary sewer system.  The purpose of the City’s sanitary sewer system is to safely and efficiently remove wastewater from homes, businesses, industries, and public/semi-public buildings.  The City’s current sanitary system is comprised of the following infrastructure:

·         Lift Stations:  8

·         Mechanical Wastewater Treatment Facility:  1 (Decommissioned 2011)

·         Backup Wastewater Treatment Ponds:  3 (Decommissioned 2011)

·         Sanitary Sewer Gravity Lines:  127,640 feet (24 miles)

·         Manholes:  500

The City’s sanitary sewer system is connected to the Metropolitan Council’s Interceptor Sewer Line.  For more information on the Metropolitan Council’s wastewater system, click here.

The new interceptor sewer line that went online in 2011 has been designed to facilitate growth of the City, which is expected to be substantial over the next 20 plus years.  To handle this growth, the City is expected to require nine new “permanent” wastewater pumping stations and several miles of trunk sanitary sewer pipe.  Developers of parcels not adjacent to a permanent station may choose to install a temporary station that would be moved or removed when gravity sewer becomes available.  The number of these stations is unknown.  These new facilities are expected to collect 2.9 million gallons of wastewater on an average day from an estimated 21,000 residents and deliver it to the Met Council wastewater system for treatment.

The City will seek to recover the cost of facilities needed because of new development from developers through trunk and connection charges and developer-paid installation of public facilities.  The City would pay for trunk sewer costs and permanent pumping stations.  Temporary stations would be a developer cost.