2009 - 2018 Capital Improvement Program

Project #8016, Rural Area Improvements

Description:

This program provides for the implementation of the region's rural area aspects of the Water Resources Management Policy Plan/Wastewater System Plan. This includes the following:

o Acquisition, improvement, expansion, and/or the construction of new wastewater treatment plants for rural growth centers, including East Bethel and New Germany, and others, upon request.

o Long-term wastewater service planning for proposed new regional wastewater treatment plants in Anoka, Carver, Hennepin, and Scott Counties.

o Wastewater treatment plant site acquisition, early interceptor corridor easement acquisition, and other land acquisition necessary to ensure efficient implementation of the long term Regional Wastewater System Plan.

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Purpose and Justification:

The adopted Water Resources Management Policy Plan/Wastewater System Plan included provisions related to the Rural Area of the region. This program provides the funding to implement those aspects of the plan related to the Rural Area including the acquisition, improvements, and expansion of existing rural area facilities; the long-term wastewater service planning for future regional wastewater treatment plants; and any necessary site and easement acquisition related to the new plants and/or interceptors.

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Project Authorization:

	Project Schedule		Authorizations
	Start	End	Funding	Status
Prelim. Engr.	Jan-02	Dec-10	$6,000,000	Approved
Design	Feb-05	Dec-12	$12,000,000	Approved
Construction	Jun-05	Dec-18	$142,000,000	Approved
Prior Authorization:			$58,000,000
2009 Budget Adjustment:			$21,000,000
Total 2009 Authorization:			$79,000,000
Future Authorizations:			$81,000,000
Total Project Cost:			$160,000,000

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Projected Cash Flow:

	Authorized	Future	Total
Prior to 2009	$19,893,000	$0	$19,893,000
2009 Budget	18,700,000	0	18,700,000
2010	22,000,000	0	22,000,000
2011	10,000,000	0	10,000,000
2012	2,000,000	0	2,000,000
2013	2,000,000	0	2,000,000
2014	2,000,000	0	2,000,000
2015	2,000,000	0	2,000,000
2016	0	2,000,000	2,000,000
2017	0	23,000,000	23,000,000
2018	0	23,000,000	23,000,000
Post-2018	0	28,000,000	28,000,000
Contingency	407,000	5,000,000	5,407,000
Totals	$79,000,000	$81,000,000	$160,000,000

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Impact on O&M Costs:

The Metropolitan Council's operation and maintenance costs will increase as a result of this program. The actual amount of the increase depends upon the facilities constructed.

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Current Rural Area Projects

Project Number & Description

o Project #801610 and #801612, Elko-New Market Interceptor - these projects will extend regional sewer service into the southern metro area, starting with Elko-New Market. Elko-New Market is a burgeoning "rural growth center," where urban or suburban-style growth is occurring in the midst of rural land uses. To keep pace with the fast rate of growth, the communities have proposed expanding capacity at their local wastewater treatment plant, which discharges into the Vermillion River. The Metropolitan Council is among the many stakeholders that have studied and discussed capacity issues and determined the best long-term solution is to extend a regional sewer interceptor to serve Elko-New Market by 2010. The Vermillion River is a designated trout stream and considered environmentally sensitive. Expanding regional infrastructure to Elko-New Market would relieve the growth pressures on the Vermillion River and better serve the long-term growth needs of the southern metro area, specifically within the Vermillion watershed in Dakota County.
.

The capital costs are estimated at $44 million for the first phase of the interceptor extension to Elko-New Market by 2010 (Location Map). The extension would temporarily connect with an existing interceptor to the north in Lakeville, diverting wastewater to the Empire Plant in Empire Township for treatment and discharge into the Mississippi River. Capital costs for completing the long-term interceptor to the Empire Plant by 2030, via Eureka and Castle Rock Townships, are estimated at $46 million.

Project #801612, provided for the initial CSAH County 2 Section of the interceptor. It was done in conjunction with Scott County construction of an expansion of CSAH No. 2 from two-lane road to four-lane divided highway west of I-35. It provided the MCES with an excellent opportunity for cooperative construction of the upper two miles of the proposed Elko-New Market Interceptor. A construction cooperation agreement with Scott County offered MCES the benefits of coordinated construction with shared easement acquisition costs and with construction economies regarding earthwork, stormwater management, and administration.

Project #801620, East Bethel WWTP - this project provides for sewered development of a newly designated Rural Growth Center served by a Metropolitan Council owned and operated wastewater treatment facility. This facility will include a water reclamation plant, non-potable water pipeline system, groundwater recharge galleries, and spray irrigation. Interceptor sewers may be included as needed to serve adjacent areas. The estimated cost of this project is $30,000,000. The cost of Phase 1 of the project is $20,000,000. (Location Map).

Project #801630, Scott County WWTP - this project provides for a new wastewater facilities to serve western Scott County. A total of $5,000,000 has been allocated for this project's planning and site acquisition phases.

Project #801640, Crow River WWTP - this project consists of siting, preliminary engineering, design and construction of a new water reclamation plant to serve the Crow River watershed communities in western Hennepin County. A total of $3,000,000 has been allocated for site acquisition and preliminary engineering. (Location Map).

Project #801650, Dakota County - this project provides for the planning associated with new wastewater facilities to serve Dakota County. A total of $500,000 has been allocated for this project's planning phase.

Project #801660, Carver County - this project provides for the planning associated with new wastewater facilities to serve Carver County. A total of $100,000 has been allocated for this project's planning phase.

Project #801670, New Germany WWTP - this project provides for the construction of a new treatment plant in the community of New Germany. The Council agreed to acquire the existing New Germany plant as part of the comprehensive plan update process, and then to construct a new plant to provide capacity for growth. The estimated cost of this project is $6,000,000. (Location Map).

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