Agenda - Public Works Committee - 04/19/2005

Home

CASE UPDATE ON SEPTIC TANK PUMPER DUMP STATION By: Leonard Linton, Civil Engineer II Background: Last year staff was asked to investigate options for locating aseptic tank pumper dump station i.n the City. The Metropolitan Council Environmental Services division currently operates 11 stations in the region. They undertook a system wide seepage management study that was adopted by their board last summer. The study looked at 4 different options. All of the options included closing most of the existing stations. The most drastic solution suggested all waste be hauled tO the Metro (Pig's Eye) Plant located near downtown St. Paul. The next option was dumping only at the existing waste water treatment plants, the nearest plant is either St. Paul or Shakopee. They looked at creating three transfer stations that would be in the suburbs. The pumpers would come to these stations then the waste would be placed in large tankers and hauled to the nearest plant. The last option is create disposal sites located close to interceptor lines.' Staff was asked to investigate the possibility of a grant to work cooPeratively with Met Council to develop a station. Their chosen strategy is to create a prototype facility adjacent to the Empire Plant, located in central Dakota County, to evaluate whether a dump station can function properly. This test is intended to last one year. They have established a time line for phasing out the existing dump stations and constructing new stations after the evaluation period. This time line is attached. Staff has been approached by two different parties in the last month regarding this issue. Both ~-oups propose to build a station in Ramsey near an interceptor line. Both stations propose separating the solids from the liquid, the liquid will be discharged down the sewer, the solids will be dried and prepared for landfill disposal. The gtations will have attendants that log and sample the loads. The dump area would be inside the building to control odors and provide screening. Both groups are working on business plans for their proposed operation. The. selected project would need to go through .the full approval process, however they would like to know if approval is likely or if the City would p/-efer not to see a project like this. The Met Council plan for a dump station will require approximately 1 acre. The space reqtfirements for these private facilities are estimated in the 2 acre range. General requirements Ibr a Met Council or private facility include proximity to an interceptor. Both private groups would like a site on a 9-ton road so they are less impacted by road restrictions. There are sites around the public works campus that would meet the general requirements for a station. Ramsey has a large number of septic tanks and this is not anticipated to-change in the near fi~t. ure. The recently approved cluster ordinance will bring construction of community septic 3