Comprehensive Wastewater Master Plan
City of Bemidji, MN
Delivering a Master Plan That Stands the Test of Time
The City of Bemidji has experienced recent population growth and development in both existing and new areas. The City saw the need to address critical issues to maintain a consistent level of service to existing residents while providing an extension of infrastructure for future annexation and growth.
AE2S is completing a Comprehensive Wastewater System Plan in 2009 which included a complete assessment of the wastewater collection system and treatment components and related issues facing the City of Bemidji over the next 20 years. The system plan included an hydraulic model of the trunk sewer system which plays a key role in decision making for current and future wastewater system improvement projects. The hydraulic model and financial planning will allow the City to accomplish its objective to provide reliable wastewater service to customers at a reasonable cost through development of a Capital Improvements Plan and Prioritization of Improvements.
Current Challenges
Challenges that face the City of Bemidji include the lack of appropriate infrastructure to serve growth in new development areas, as well as areas within the existing service area which could potentially lead to capacity limitations within the existing system. By increasing the efficiency of existing systems, having a better understanding of the cost of existing and future infrastructure, and developing a sound financial plan to address associated costs, the City would be able to address its future water needs.
Comprehensive Approach Ensures Effective Implementation
The Comprehensive Wastewater System Plan includes development of population projections, wastewater flows and loads, demands of the service areas, and maximum day and peak hourly flows. These serve as the foundation of the system analysis by establishing the projections for population and land use, identifying the future growth areas for the City of Bemidji, and forecasting future water demands for 5, 10, 15, and 20 years from the present.
Establishing and Addressing Needs
The purpose of the study of the wastewater treatment system was to identify its current and future needs and to recommend cost effective improvements to meet those needs. Needs were identified for various concerns. The first were concerns about treatment capacity to receive and treat current and future flows and loadings. Second were concerns about the facility’s condition, age, and performance. And last were concerns about future regulatory changes that might affect the level of treatment provided by the facility. Each concern represents its own challenges, but balancing the immediate short term needs such as anaerobic digester capacity and aging facilities with the long term growth and potential regulatory needs is essential in continuing to provide reliable and cost effective treatment for the City of Bemidji.
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