BDM Consulting Engineers and Surveyors, PLC

Wastewater Treatment

BDM Engineers and Surveyors have been providing professional wastewater design services to municipal clients for more than a decade. BDM has worked with clients to provide a full range of services for small and large scale municipal systems throughout Minnesota. Our staff of qualified experts can assist with wastewater challenges including complex process design, projections, treatment evaluations, and operational troubleshooting and training. A recent project example includes work on the $26 million upgrade to the City of Brainerd's WWTP. We provide clients with professional and experienced service in all areas of wastewater treatment including:

Treatment Plant Design and Rehabilitation
Treatment Plant Operations and Maintenance Optimization
Wastewater Collection System Design, Modeling, and Analysis
Design and Rehabilitation of Lift Stations
Force Main Design and Modeling

Example Project: City of Lonsdale - Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrade

The City of Lonsdale is a growing community located 30 miles southwest of the Twin Cities metropolitan area. During their on going housing boom, the City received a large number of sewer extension requests from five developers. Due to some operational problems and capacity concerns with the wastewater treatment lagoons, the MPCA would not approve the sewer extension permits until those issues were resolved.

BDM was selected by the City Council to undertake a series of studies and improvement efforts for its Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP).

Our staff immediately conducted a preliminary study and provided solutions to the operational problems that addressed MPCA concerns.

Within three months, the MPCA lifted the restrictions on Lonsdale’s sewer extension permits and allowed development projects to proceed.

BDM Consulting Engineers and Surveyors, PLC:

Completed the facility plan, applied for necessary environmental permit applications, and designed WWTP upgrades.
Provided construction services including on-site inspection, construction administration and completion of the operation and maintenance manual.
Helped the City keep the budget to less than 0.1% expansion during construction through change orders.
Increased the City’s wastewater treatment capacity to over 8,000 residents and reduced the footprint 80% by converting from a natural pond system to a fully mechanical treatment plant.
The City was able to free up more than 20 acres of land reclaimed from old ponds, and redeveloped and sold the land to businesses in Lonsdale's five lot industrial park.

Construction of the $5.8 million Wastewater Treatment Plant is complete. The new plant is now in operation and successfully meets all permit conditions, including stringent limits for nutrients such as ammonia and phosphorus.