Agenda - Council - 03/10/2015 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Long -Term Wastewater Service Area Concept Plan The wastewater system plan includes a specific plan to serve the region's projected 2040 growth and a general plan to serve the region's growth far beyond 2040. The wastewater system plan has a longer planning horizon than local comprehensive plans because sewers have a long useful life. The Council is updating the Twin Cities metro area Master Water Supply Plan to address the sustainability of water supply in the region, and has identified areas where groundwater aquifers may not have sufficient capacity to support long-term sewered development. The Regional Wastewater System Plan's long-term wastewater service area (Appendix F) is premised on successful development and implementation of sustainable water supply to support planned sewered development. The Council defines the long-term wastewater service areas based on: • The capacity of each treatment plant site, • The potential developable surface area that could be served by the plant, in addition to currently served areas, and • Using appropriate wastewater generation rates based on location, proximity to transit and major highways, and physical features of area. The developable area excludes lakes, rivers, wetlands, steep slopes, major highways, and parks. The area effectively available for future development is further reduced in areas where there are other significant natural resources or locations requiring more areas devoted to stormwater management, such as trout stream watersheds and/or tight soils (making infiltration of stormwater more difficult). For long-term wastewater service areas, communities shall address the staging of sewered development through 2040 as well as protection of the remaining long-term service areas for economical future sewered development in their local comprehensive plan updates, surface water management plans, and water supply plans. The regional wastewater system will be expanded as necessary to facilitate development in communities consistent with their approved comprehensive sewer plans. The long-term wastewater service area includes large "potential wastewater service areas" in Dakota and Scott Counties. The objective of this designation is to ensure low enough development density to enable future economical sewered development and preserve land for continued agricultural uses. In Carver County, the Council and the County have a memorandum of understanding whereby the County preserves low density in its agricultural area, consistent with the region's potential need for additional area for sewered development. Long -Term Service Area of Existing Treatment Plants Blue Lake. Previously wastewater service to Loretto, northwest Medina, and southwest Corcoran was planned through the Elm Creek Interceptor. The revised plan is to serve this area from the Blue Lake Plant via Maple Plain and the downstream interceptor system. Metropolitan. Three areas (northeast Andover, southeast Nowthen, and northeast Ramsey) have previously been identified as study areas for potential future wastewater service. These 34