Utilities Issues

Existing conditions

Trends and conditions

  • Four watershed organizations (Minnehaha, Riley-Purgatory, and Nine Mile Watershed Districts and Basset Creek Water Management Commission).
  • The drainage system relies on natural drainage ways and storage areas.
  • Stormwater Management Plan
    • Guidance and regulations for the use of wetland areas for storage and filtration
    • Water quality and quantity management requires load reductions and preservation of natural resources

Implications

  • New infiltration requirements should be considered with development.
  • Planning must incorporate techniques to reduce:
    • erosion and sedimentation
    • phosphorus
    • nutrient loads
    • stormwater volume
  • Balance between stormwater management requirements and natural resource preservation is needed

Sanitary sewer

Trends and Conditions

  • The city’s sanitary sewer system has been able to accommodate growth through planned capacity improvements to the sewer system
  • Aggressive program initiated to minimize inflow and infiltration (I/I) from entering the sewer system

Implications

  • Additional growth will require localized (lateral) improvements to the system, especially in Opus and the NE quadrant of Plymouth Road/I-394
  • Increased sewer flows to the regional system will depend on the city system capacity, which is affected by I & I.

Public water system

Trends and Conditions

  • The public water supply is capable of meeting the city’s water needs until 2020, assuming normal growth (3–5%).
  • Increased growth has required installation of new wells to provide adequate water supply and firefighting capabilities.

Implications

  • Growth policies will determine the supply, distribution and water storage requirements of the city after 2020
  • Approval to provide additional wells to the aquifer will be difficult even with aggressive water conservation programs.

Issues and opportunities

  • Careful planning is needed to determine the effect of future development on the sanitary sewer and water facilities.
  • New options need to be studied to accommodate new stormwater management requirements.
  • “Green” technologies should be explored as part of utility management within this planning period.