Best Practice Action 21.6
GreenStep City Best Practices: Environmental Management
Septic Systems No. 21
Implement an environmentally sound management program for decentralized wastewater treatment systems.
Best Practice Action Detail
Best Practice Action 6
Work with homeowners and businesses in environmentally sensitive areas and areas where standard septic systems are not the least-cost option to promote innovative waste water systems, including central sewer extensions.
- Innovative or advanced systems and innovative systems research include composting toilets, greywater systems, cluster systems, constructed wetlands, floating islands, recirculating sand filters, and ozone disinfection systems.
- Recognizing that the cost of septic systems was a barrier to affordable housing development, Cook County worked with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to pass an award-winning new ordinance that resulted in creative low-tech, ecological, affordable options (including composting toilets) for the treatment of graywater and septic waste for individual homeowners. A traditional septic system can cost up to $25,000. The new design can be built for between $250 and $7,000
 |
Promote/assist in the design and construction of clustered/shared septic systems; extend central sewer system service. |
 |
Constructed wetland treatment, recirculating ozone system in place. |
 |
Composting toilets and greywater system in place. |
Who's doing it
Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe -
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed:
Implementation details:
The Northern Lights Casino contains a recirculating ozone.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
Descriptive File:
Descriptive links:
For more information contact:
Brandy Toft (City staff) | air@lldrm.org | 218-335-7429
Partners:
Warren -
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed: 2014
Implementation details:
1 Star
-Extended central sewer system to all of Warren's citizens
-Passed ordinances banning the use of septic systems
2 Star
- Warren Wastewater Treatment Plant utilizes a recirculating ozone system
3 Star
- WWTP cleans and recirculates greywater produced
-Extended central sewer system to all of Warren's citizens
-Passed ordinances banning the use of septic systems
2 Star
- Warren Wastewater Treatment Plant utilizes a recirculating ozone system
3 Star
- WWTP cleans and recirculates greywater produced
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
Banned septic systems in city limited while extending central sewer system services to all of its residents.
Descriptive File: view file
Descriptive links:
For more information contact:
Shannon Mortenson (City staff) | shannonm@warrenminnesota.com | 218-745-5343
Partners:
Albert Lea -
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed:
Implementation details:
Freeborn County works with homeowners in environmentally sensitive areas and areas where standard septic systems are not the most efficient option to transition to alternate waste water systems including central sewer extension.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
Descriptive File:
Descriptive links:
For more information contact:
Jerry Gabrielatos (City staff) | jgabrielatos@ci.albertlea.mn.us | 507-377-4316
Partners: Freeborn County
Austin -
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed:
Implementation details:
In areas that are found to have a majority of failing systems (as opposed to sporadic or low density areas) Mower County works with Sheila Craig, a Community Wastewater Facilitator to work with landowners to develop a plan, find funding, and look at cost-based options.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
Descriptive File:
Descriptive links:
For more information contact:
Janet Anderson (Community volunteer) | janetanderson2840@gmail.com | 5072190680
Partners:
Bloomington -
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed:
Implementation details:
The City through its development plan review process ensures proper collection of wastewater. The City’s NPDES MS4 program addresses and prohibits non-stormwater discharges in environmentally sensitive areas. https://www.bloomingtonmn.gov/eng/storm-water-pollution-prevention-program
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
Descriptive File:
Descriptive links:
For more information contact:
Steve Gurney (City staff) | sgurney@BloomingtonMN.gov | 952-563-4606
Partners:
Burnsville -
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed:
Implementation details:
The entire City of Burnsville is within the Metropolitan Urban Service Area. City SSTS ordinance specifies that SSTS need to be located to achieve maximum economic feasibility to allow for future connection to the public sewer system when it becomes available. There are separate City Council policies that provide special consideration for property owners with SSTS indicating that the city will not initiate sanitary sewer and water utility extensions into the R1A (SW Burnsville) area unless the city documents a significant threat to public health. These policies provide a measure of protection for rural homeowners and allow them to amoratize investments in their private systems over time.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
Descriptive File:
Descriptive links:
For more information contact:
Sue Bast (City staff) | basts@ci.burnsville.mn.us | 952-895-4524
Partners:
Elk River -
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed:
Implementation details:
In Elk River there are several homes along the shores of Lake Orono and near wetlands where property owners have been required to install special systems such as mounds, at-grade systems, and pressure beds. There are also some developments in the City with cluster systems. The City requires yearly monitoring reports on the effectiveness of the septic systems. Most cities rely on the County to manage the septic systems but due to the size of Elk River, the city chose to administer the MPCA Individual Sewage Treatment System program.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
Descriptive File:
Descriptive links:
For more information contact:
Amanda Bednar (City staff) | ABednar@ElkRiverMN.gov | 763-635-1068
Partners:
LaPrairie -
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed:
Implementation details:
this action might be able to go under multiple other actions?
12/15/2015
Improved infrastructure by extending city water and sewer to an area of the city that was previously an un-served area of the city. The result was 45 new services for sewer and 45 for water. This action replaced failing private septic systems that were leeching into the Prairie River and provided safe drinking water to replace contaminated wells. This project also added two new lift stations that will complement our other 6 lift stations that were retrofitted in 2013.
12/15/2015
Improved infrastructure by extending city water and sewer to an area of the city that was previously an un-served area of the city. The result was 45 new services for sewer and 45 for water. This action replaced failing private septic systems that were leeching into the Prairie River and provided safe drinking water to replace contaminated wells. This project also added two new lift stations that will complement our other 6 lift stations that were retrofitted in 2013.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
Descriptive File:
Descriptive links:
For more information contact:
Partners:
Pierz -
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed:
Implementation details:
We partner with Rich Prairie Sewer and Water for our City Sewer and Water. They have extended their central lines to help every resident in Pierz have a shared water and sewer system for access to clean drinking water and sanitary sewer disposal.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
Descriptive File:
Descriptive links:
For more information contact:
Kari Tyson (City staff) | karit@pierzmn.org | 320-468-6471
Partners: Rich Prairie Sewer and Water District
Rochester -
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed:
Implementation details:
Rochester is at this time working with residents of existing older subdivisions in Oronoco township, designing and constructing a cluster or shared septic system to serve 13 existing sites with limited or no septic system locations available because of such small lot sizes.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
Descriptive File:
Descriptive links:
For more information contact:
Phil Wheeler (City staff) | wheeler.phil@CO.OLMSTED.MN.US | 507-328-7101
Partners:
Rosemount -
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed:
Implementation details:
Rosemount's Building Official works with individual property owners and system designers to promote innovative waste water systems in environmentally sensitive areas or where standard septic systems are not the least-cost option.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
Descriptive File:
Descriptive links: http://tinyurl.com/6smxa2e
For more information contact:
Julia Hogan (City Staff) | julia.hogan@ci.rosemount.mn.us | 651-322-2052
Partners:
Greenstep Advisor
Steven Oscarson, Environmental Specialist, MN Pollution Control Agency: 507-206-2604, steven.oscarson@state.mn.us, https://www.pca.state.mn.us/business-with-us/septic-systems