New water recovery facility focuses on sustainability

Date: Friday, November 22, 2024
The Rogers facility, shown here, will be demolished once the Crow River facility opens in 2030.The Metropolitan Council is planning to build a new water resource recovery facility to treat wastewater in the northwest metro area to replace the existing Rogers Plant. The proposed Crow River facility is planned to have a variety of features to reduce energy use, manage stormwater, and recover heat from effluent just before it is returned to the environment.

The facility will also create opportunities in the northwest region to reuse treated wastewater both on site and off site for things like commercial and agricultural irrigation, and evaporative cooling for data centers and manufacturing.

“This facility will meet advanced sustainability standards and allow us to take advantage of wastewater reuse opportunities as they emerge,” said Peter Lindstrom, chair of the Met Council’s Environment Committee. “It will also support a bustling, growing part of the metro area for decades into the future.”

The proposed Crow River facility is estimated to cost $162 million. Initially it will treat about 1 million gallons of wastewater per day and will have capacity to treat 16.5 million gallons per day once fully developed. The plant’s ultimate service area includes the growing areas of Corcoran, Dayton, and a small portion of Maple Grove, in addition to Rogers.
 

New site located on the Crow River

The proposed Crow River Facility is about two miles west of the current Rogers Plant. The wastewater pipeline between the plants will be built within current highway right-of-way.Met Council purchased the 96-acre site in 2016. It is located two miles west of the existing Rogers plant, where a lift station will be constructed to convey wastewater to the new water resource recovery facility. When the new facility begins operating in 2030, the Rogers plant will be demolished.

Met Council, consulting with 11 American Indian Tribes, the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council, and historic preservation officers, assessed the new site and sanitary sewer pipeline route for cultural and historic significance.

View a presentation to the Environment Committee on the Crow River facility (starts at 25:40)
 


Public hearing scheduled for Jan. 8

Met Council will hold a public hearing on Jan. 8, 2025, to gather input on the draft facility plan for the Crow River Water Resource Recovery Facility and interceptor.

Met Council encourages the public to participate in the public hearing process. We will hold two open houses prior to the public hearing: one a few weeks before the public hearing and one directly before the public hearing. At the open houses and public hearing, Met Council will present a facility plan for the Crow River Water Resource Recovery Facility.

Open House #1:
Dec. 5, 2024, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Rogers Activity Center, 21080 141st Avenue North
Activity Room
 
Open House #2 and Public Hearing:
Jan. 8, 2025, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Rogers Activity Center, 21080 141st Avenue North
Activity Room
 
The public will have an opportunity to provide feedback on the facility plan at the open houses and public hearing as well as during the public comment period.

The draft facility plan will be available for review on Dec. 10, which will start the official 30-day public comment period. 

If you are not able to attend the open houses or public hearing, comments may be emailed or mailed to Project Manager Mark Lundgren until January 20 at [email protected] or 390 N. Robert St., Saint Paul, MN, 55101.

Read a description of the Crow River Water Resource Recovery Facility project and sign up for email or text alerts.
 

Posted In: Wastewater & Water

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