The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has released its environmental assessment for a proposed sewer line to connect the City of Cottage Grove’s south district with its main wastewater treatment facility. The environmental assessment identified temporary impacts related to construction, such as dust, noise and some land-use changes, but no potential for significant cumulative effects from the project.
The line will provide sanitary sewer service to existing customers as well as future industrial, commercial, and residential properties within and surrounding the city’s south district and business park. The city will locate the majority of the trunk sewer on the east side of Ideal Avenue. It will connect into existing Metropolitan Council Environmental Services lines and carry untreated wastewater to the Eagles Point Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The south district trunk sanitary sewer will have an ultimate design flow of 6.705 million gallons per day. It is less than a mile in length (5,093 linear feet), and will run through about 46 acres of mostly farmland. Sixty percent of the PVC pipeline will be buried at least 30 feet deep.
Currently, the south district has yet to develop or tie into the city's sanitary sewer system. As the city works to grow its business park and surrounding areas to align with its 2040 comprehensive plan, it is building out infrastructure to accommodate the growth. The city anticipates the trunk sewer to remain in use for several decades and ultimately act as a facilitator pipe for future sanitary sewer needs for the south district.
Construction is anticipated to begin in May and be completed in September 2021. The MPCA invites the public to review the environment assessment worksheet (EAW) and raise awareness of any other potential environmental impacts by participating in the public comment process.
State agencies use the EAW process to help decide whether a project requires a more extensive environmental impact statement. The EAW covers site location details, nearby resources, and other elements, including watersheds, soil types, planned excavations, stormwater management, and traffic.
The worksheet for this project is available on the MPCA Environmental Review webpage or by calling Patrice Jensen at 651-757-2465. Written comments may be emailed to patrice.jensen@state.mn.us, or mailed to her at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, 520 Lafayette Road N., St. Paul, MN 55155-4194. Comments must be received by May 27, 2021.