WILLMAR -- A conditional use permit has been approved that will allow the small Kandiyohi County community of Roseland to construct a sanitary sewer system.
The project will replace individual septic systems, including many that are out of compliance and in violation of Minnesota Pollution Control Agency standards.
The Kandiyohi County Planning Commission approved the permit in a unanimous vote Monday that will allow the treatment ponds to be built on land zoned for agriculture preservation.
Roseland Township sought the permit for Roseland, which is an unincorporated town of about 120 residents located 11 miles south of Willmar.
The plan calls for constructing two ponds to treat sewage collected from about 56 homes.
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The total cost of the project is estimated at $2 million, with $1.4 million for construction.
In 2004 the community received a notice of violation from the MPCA, according to Paul Jurek, an engineer with Bollig Inc. of Willmar, who is overseeing the project.
County Commissioner Harlan Madsen, who sits on the Planning Commission, said the project was a high priority. "It's a much needed project in that area," he said.
Some of those individual septic systems ran directly from a home into a drainage ditch, Jurek said. Some had septic tanks where sewage was initially stored and then emptied into a drain tile or drainage ditch.
Not all the individual systems were out of compliance, he said.
The notice of violation from the MPCA allowed the community to seek funding. They've submitted grant applications to the PMCA Clean Water Legacy Act and to Rural Development.
It's not been determined what the individual assessments will be for the project, which has the support of residents, according to Gary Geer, Kandiyohi County zoning administrator.
Jurek said construction could take place yet this year, but would likely be delayed until next year.
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Each pond is about 2.3 acres in size. They will be located northeast of Roseland.
