Corps and Kindred, North Dakota, break ground on sanitary sewer project

By George StringhamApril 1, 2022

Corps and Kindred, North Dakota, break ground on sanitary sewer project
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – St. Paul District Commander Col. Karl Jansen, Deputy District Engineer Kevin Wilson, join Kindred, North Dakota’s mayor and several city council members to celebrate the city’s sanitary sewer project groundbreaking Oct. 1, 2021. (Photo Credit: Melanie Peterson) VIEW ORIGINAL
Corps and Kindred, North Dakota, break ground on sanitary sewer project
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Col. Karl Jansen, district commander, and Kevin Wilson, deputy district engineer, discuss Kindred’s aging sanitary lift station with the city’s consultant, Brandon Oye, Oct. 1, 2021. (Photo Credit: Courtesy) VIEW ORIGINAL

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, and Kindred, North Dakota, celebrated the commencement of the sanitary sewer upgrade and expansion project for the city in a groundbreaking ceremony at the city’s wastewater treatment facility Oct. 1, 2021.

“As a civil engineer, I can appreciate the type of infrastructure that’s behind the scenes that citizens don’t see,” stated Col. Karl Jansen, St. Paul District commander, during the ceremony. “That makes their lives better, and when we can roll up our sleeves and work hard and solve something going back seven years, I think they’d be proud to know that they have leaders like you, the council, and a great reputable engineering firm working on their behalf.”

The project, covered under the Corps’ Environmental Infrastructure Assistance Program, includes the construction of new wastewater lagoons, upgrades to the existing main sanitary sewer lift station, installation of new sanitary sewer force main and decommissioning of existing wastewater lagoons.

“Most importantly there are people behind the scenes that are the unsung heroes of the community,” Jansen added, “Most people don’t even know what these employees are preventing on a day-to- day basis for the environment they live and work in.”

The sanitary sewer system improvements will increase the city’s sanitary sewer service capacity, while remaining in compliance with environmental water quality rules and minimizing bypasses of untreated wastewater and associated health risks.

The project has a total cost of approximately $8 million, of which $5.45 million will be eligible for federal funding.

The St. Paul District’s environmental infrastructure programs assist rural communities with building, designing and/or restoring environmentally friendly water supply and wastewater treatment systems. As of 2021, the district has assisted more than 50 communities in building 70 projects totaling over $80 million.

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