Major Pipe Replacement Project in St. Cloud Begins This Spring

ST. CLOUD (WJON News) -- There's a large infrastructure project beginning this spring that you may not notice but is critical to St. Cloud's regional sanitary sewer system.

The system carries the wastewater from all of the area cities to the wastewater treatment plant near the I-94 Business Park.

This two-year project will replace three miles of pipe installed in the early 1970s with a new 42-inch force main pipe. The work will take place from the lift station at 33rd Street South near the St. Cloud Country Club to the wastewater treatment plant near the I-94 Business Park.

Public Services Director Tracy Hodel says it is the city's most critical piece of infrastructure on the wastewater system and it has been failing for several years...

In the past, it has been susceptible to early failure. We did some pre-assessments and identified some additional issues and did some repairs back in 2013 and 2014, and then did another set of emergency repairs in 2021. When our crews are going out and doing inspections, they (the pipes) are showing additional signs of deterioration so we are at the end of its useful life.

Hodel says the work is expected to have only minor impacts on users of the Beaver Island Trail and traffic on Clearwater Road near McStop.

The $26-million project will be paid for through the fees on the utility bills of everyone tied into the system.

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