The city of Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, was faced with one of the state’s most stringent nutrient limits for its planned new wastewater facility: a 94% reduction from the previous plant. The reduction was directed by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to preserve area water quality in neighboring Lake St. Clair, which was experiencing algal blooms from phosphorus. Like many municipalities, Detroit Lakes also had to deal with a complex mix of aging infrastructure, population growth, new regulations, funding challenges and environmental considerations.
The engineering firm of Short Elliott Hendrickson worked with the Detroit Lakes Public Utility on various options to identify
