Southeast Minnesota Wastewater Initiative
The lack of sewage treatment in many small communities in Southeast Minnesota is causing surface water and groundwater pollution. Ten of these small communities will be the target of the technical assistance provided by this project. These communities have community or individual straight pipes which are discharging raw sewage directly into the environment, surfacing sewage, or have sewage contaminating groundwater.
Working closely with county staff and local elected officials, two staff will provide a wide range of technical assistance to help these small communities follow the many steps needed to upgrade their sewage treatment systems. These steps include forming community task forces, studying the large number of sewage treatment system options, applying for and pursuing funding, forming sewer districts, preparing ordinances, and developing operation and management plans.
With the assistance provided by this project, a goal of six communities will construct new community sewage treatment systems, which will eliminate approximately 152,550 gallons of untreated sewage per day from entering the Lower Mississippi River and Cedar River Basins (55 million gallons per year). These projects will make significant progress towards the achievement of the Lower Mississippi River Basin Total Maximum Daily Load for Fecal Coliform Bacteria.
Nicole Clapp
Accelerated Implementation Grant 2014
Two wastewater facilitators are proposed, resulting in pollution reductions for BOD, TSS, Phosphorus, and Nitrogen
LOCAL LEVERAGED FUNDS