Did you know that many small communities in southeast Minnesota still discharge untreated wastewater directly into our waterways!?
Pollution from old, noncompliant, or straight-pipe septic systems is a significant problem in the Cannon River watershed and throughout southeast Minnesota. In order to reduce this pollution, CRWP works with small communities that have septic systems that are polluting our lakes or rivers. Many of the people in these communities want to fix their problem, but don't know where to start. That's where CRWP comes in; we assist community members to explore options, find solutions, pursue funding, navigate local and state rules, and provides startup funds to get the project off the ground.
Every year the State of Minnesota releases a list ranking all of the sewer projects that are looking for funding. This list is called the Project Priority List, or PPL. The higher a project scores on the PPL the greater chance it has to receive grants or low interest loans to help fund the project. The new draft PPL was released on August 10th and lists 388 projects.
The small community sewer projects that CRWP assists have a history of being listed high on the PPL, and although this year some projects did not score as high as we hoped, many of CRWP’s projects scored well enough to be in the running for grants and loans. Here are the projects that CRWP is assisting that are listed on the PPL and their rank. To see the entire draft PPL click here
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Bixby - #19
Andyville East - #39
Minnesota City - #57
Dakota - #58
Greenleafton - #90
Oronoco - #141
Downtown Dresbach Township - #212
August 20, 2010
Nicolville project picture gallery updated (project photos to the right), courtesy of Steve Oscarson of Jones, Haugh and Smith Inc. Engineers!
After literally decades of attempts to solve the sewage problem in Nicolville, groundbreaking ceremonies were held on Tuesday, May 11, 2010. Nicolville, a small community in Red Rock Township, Mower County, is comprised of 16 homes, 14 of which will utilize the new wastewater treatment cluster mounds. File documents go back to the 1970’s when the first attempts were made to provide better treatment for the sewage that was flowing through a straight pipe to Dobbins Creek outside of Austin.
Funding assistance for approximately 75% of the project will come from the State of Minnesota through the Public Facilities Authority as a grant with the remainder as a low interest loan. Homeowners will be responsible for paying the loan back over 10 years.
If, as they say, “it takes a village to raise a child”, it takes all entities on many levels to solve a sewage problem. The solution has been achieved by state agencies, local government units, contracted professionals, and the local homeowners all working together. Sheila Craig, with the Southeast Minnesota Wastewater Initiative, provided the coordination.
Construction started the end of May. First the access road to the treatment site was built followed by 3 large mounds. Two will be utilized while one is always resting. Next 4 6,000-gallon septic tanks and one small pump tank were installed at the site. A gravity flow collection system takes the sewage from the homes to a lift station north of the treatment site. The sewage is then pumped under pressure to the septic tanks and ultimately distributed to the mounds where it will receive final treatment in the soil. Completion is set for early September.
When the project is completed approximately 6,300 gallons less raw sewage per day will flow untreated into Dobbins Creek and ultimately through Austin’s East Side Lake to the Cedar River.
August 20, 2010
Steele County, which is assisting Bixby with its sewer project, recently received a completed feasibility study for a new community sewage treatment system from McGhie & Betts, Inc. out of Rochester. The feasibility study recommends what type of sewage treatment system will best serve the community, where to locate it, and estimates how much it will cost. The recommended system is similar to a septic system that serves an individual rural home, but it is sized to serve the entire community.
Currently, most of the homes in Bixby are hooked-up to a tile line that ultimately drains into the headwaters of the Straight River, southeast of Owatonna. The completion of the feasibility study allows Steele County to move forward with applying for funding and negotiating with landowners to buy land for the new sewer system.
August 20, 2010
With the assistance of Community Facilitator, Sheila Craig, the City of Lyle has now extended City sewer connections to five homes that were still using onsite sewage treatment systems. The systems were very old and had been connected to tile lines or were surfacing in yards. This project now treats approximately 2,250 gallons of raw sewage that had potentially been an imminent threat to public health.
August 20, 2010
In cooperation with the Southeast Minnesota Water Resources Board, CRWP has been awarded a $300,000 grant to continue assisting small communities that have septic systems that are polluting our lakes and rivers. The funding will support CRWP’s wastewater facilitators to continue working in the thirteen counties of Southeast Minnesota through 2013. In addition, the grant will provide cost-share assistance for small communities to assess their current situation and look at possible solutions.
July 23, 2010
For many years, citizens living on the Jefferson-German Chain of Lakes in Le Sueur County have had a vigorous discussion about how to best to reduce pollution in the lakes from non-compliant septic systems. Some people advocated for a new sewer line around the lakes to take the sewage to Mankato or St. Peter for treatment. Others wanted stricter enforcement of septic system rules and promotion of “cluster” septic systems where a number of homes would be serviced by a shared septic system. After a survey taken by Le Sueur County in 2006 showed a majority of property owners not in favor of the new sewer line, work on the septic system issue fizzled.
Early in 2010, CRWP began discussions with lakeshore residents about restarting work on the septic system issue. In May, at the lake association annual meeting, volunteers to work on the issue were requested, and ten people came forward. On June 22nd, the names were passed on to the Le Sueur County Board, which will appoint volunteers to a new Sewer Advisory Board hopefully in August or September. Once the Sewer Advisory Board, CRWP will assist the group as it looks at solutions for the septic system issues around the lakes.
July 23, 2010
The Roberds Lake Sewer Group has been busy interviewing engineering firms to do the feasibility study for the project over the past month. Three firms have submitted proposals. The Sewer Group then met with Rice County and the City of Faribault for their feedback on the proposals. The group hopes to make a decision by the end of the month. Once a firm begins work on the feasibility study it should take about four to six weeks. The Sewer Group also decided to submit an application for this year’s Project Priority List (PPL). The PPL scores potential sewer projects in the state and is used to determine funding eligibility for a number of funding programs. Getting on this list allows the project to apply for funding in the future. CRWP, along with Rice County, is assisting the group with the application, which is due on May 7th.
April 5, 2010
Since the Roberds Lake Sewer Group began looking at the option of constructing a sewer collection line around the lake and hooking that line into the City of Faribault’s municipal sewer system, one question has loomed: Would the City of Faribault consider allowing the project without requiring annexation of Roberds Lake? After a series of meetings and discussions, the Roberds Lake group has its answer. Yes. Last week, the City Council voted 6-1 to consider allowing the hook-up if agreement can be reached on a variety of issues and policies to be in place. The next step for the Roberds Lake Sewer Group is a feasibility study of the proposed project, which will examine the technical feasibility (the route of the collection line, where to hook-in to the City of Faribault, the impact on the City’s sewer lines, etc.) and financial feasibility (construction costs of the project and future operation and maintenance costs).
March 3, 2010
View communities with completed wastewater projects, projects underway, and those in need of assisstance; or, view the completed and in-progress communites below:
Below are photos of just some of the projects being worked on in Southeast Minnesota (click here for a map of all projects).
Sheila Craig, Community Wastewater Facilitator
Phone: (507) 765-2605
Email: scraig
co.fillmore.mn.us
Aaron Wills, Community Wastewater Facilitator
Phone: (507) 786-3914
Email: aaroncrwp.net
crwp.net
