Granite Falls, Minn., OKs engineering projects
GRANITE FALLS -- The Granite Falls City Council ordered engineering and design work Monday on the city's largest flood mitigation projects.
City Engineer David Berryman will begin developing specifications for two projects. They include replacing the sanitary lift station on Minnesota Avenue. It is located in the floodplain near the Minnesota River and was the site of intensive sandbagging campaigns during the previous floods.
The engineer will also draft plans for a secondary pump station to serve a flood-vulnerable area north of West U.S. Highway 212. The city had placed lines across the highway and used portable pumps during the 2001 flood.
The sanitary lift station serves the majority of the west side of the city. If it were flooded, sewage would back up in most of the homes and businesses in that area.
It is currently estimated that developing a new lift station above the floodplain would cost $1,890,000.
Flood mitigation monies totaling $500,000 have been allocated to the city by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources for the engineering and design work on the two projects. The city is currently in the process of seeking federal and state monies towards the construction costs.
