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Commission approves HDR peer review, authorizes solicitation for Mandan wastewater update
Summary
The Mandan City Commission approved HDR's peer review of the wastewater treatment plant master plan and authorized staff to solicit professional services for a project whose phase‑1 costs HDR estimated at about $125 million; two treatment options — aerobic granular sludge and extended aeration — were recommended.
The Mandan City Commission voted on Feb. 3 to approve a peer review of the city’s wastewater treatment plant master plan and to authorize staff to solicit statements of qualifications from firms to support the update project.
HDR, the consultant that performed the peer review, told the commission its analysis narrowed liquid‑treatment options to two leading processes: aerobic granular sludge and extended aeration. "The phase 1 costs were really close, right in the $125,000,000 range," said Ben Heckel of HDR, who characterized the two alternatives as meeting current effluent permit requirements and as the top candidates for reliability and regulatory compliance.
Why it matters: City staff said improvements are needed because the existing plant is outdated and presents operations and safety challenges. HDR recommended approaches intended to increase capacity, address aging infrastructure and position the plant for potential future nutrient limits that could apply to discharges to the Missouri River.
HDR’s presentation also addressed solids handling. The peer review team recommended dewatering sludge to a cake and hauling it to a landfill rather than on‑site winter storage, citing odor and storage concerns. "Dewater it into dirt basically and haul it to the landfill," Heckel said, describing common practice at comparable plants.
Commission discussion focused on alternatives, costs, operations and regulatory timing. HDR told the commission that stricter nutrient limits (for ammonia, total phosphorus and total nitrogen) are likely more than a decade away in North Dakota but that the city should consider options that can be adapted to future permit requirements.
A motion by Commissioner Brown to approve HDR’s peer review report and to authorize solicitation of professional services passed on a roll-call vote.
What’s next: Staff will issue a solicitation for qualifications for design and professional services; the commission will review proposals and next-phase recommendations before decisions on specific project design and financing. The motion recorded approval to move the project into a procurement phase rather than to adopt a final design or funding plan.
