Moorhead council approves wastewater facility plan, authorizes grant applications and design funding

The Moorhead City Council on June 23 approved a wastewater facility plan and voted to authorize a point‑source implementation grant application and budget adjustments needed to begin final design.

The 41.237 million dollar facility plan identifies a package of projects to address aging plant and lift‑station infrastructure, reduce phosphorus in the city’s discharge, and expand biosolids dewatering and storage capacity. City staff and the consulting engineer said those steps are needed to protect operations through projected growth to about 2040 and to position Moorhead for state and federal funding.

City Manager Molly introduced the topic and said the technical presentation “is at the basis of what we’re talking about here is how we’re gonna flush in 2040.” Engineer Andy Bradshaw, who presented the plan, said the plant (built in 1983) has many original systems and that the plan bundles many smaller condition‑based fixes (an influent wet well rehabilitation, corrosion repairs to an equalization basin, a compressor replacement and electrical/HVAC upgrades) with larger items such as converting from chlorine/sulfur dioxide disinfection to ultraviolet, adding phosphorus removal, installing dewatering equipment and building cake storage, and upgrades to four major lift…