The Public Utilities Commission approved a resolution that would decommission and demolish the Center Street Lift Station (pictured). The station would be demolished after the gravity sewer and water main lines are connected to Front Street.

NEW ULM– The New Ulm Public Utilities Commission passed a resolution to submit a sewer and water main project for possible state funding Tuesday.

The city requests $2 million to complete the Gravity Sewer and Water Main Project on Front Street and the demolition of a Lift Station on Center Street. This would cover half of the project’s remaining cost, the rest being funded by the city. The city is requesting the funding be added to Minnesota’s 2024 Capital Investment Bonding Bill.

This is to complete the three blocks remaining to connect the gravity sewer and water main on Front Street. Once completed, the Center Street lift station will be decommissioned and demolished due to rapid decline.

“It’s got some structural issues,” Utilies Director Kris Manderfeld said. “For the safety of our employees, and anybody that works in there, we would like to finish the project and remove the Center Street lift station. We would save both maintenance money as well as electrical costs. If we could get rid of it. It was built in 1975, so it’s well past its useful life.”

The resolution was first passed in January for potential inclusion to the 2023 version of the bill. The project was not added, leading to renewed efforts for next years inclusion.

Manderfeld stated the Commission’s second attempt at state funding for the project has support from local representatives.

“I’ve spoken to Senator [Gary] Dahms and Representative Paul Torkelson,” she said. “They suggested that we try again, and they’ll also help try to push this bill forward next year.”

In other news, the Commission passed a resolution to replace a six inch main water line feeding into the local power plant after a failure required emergency repair.

The water line suffered from a break, forcing the immediate install of a temporary patch. Due a history of leaks and the age of the pipe, it was decided to replace it entirely instead of installing a permanent patch. The replacement will cost $21,407.

Manderfeld laid out the importance of the water main to the power plant.

“We need that line to be able to service power plants,” she said. If we didn’t have the line, we would not be able to run the cooling towers in the boilers. We do have a backup line that we switch to, but it’s only to be used in a temporary situation.”

This backup line will be used while the pipe is being installed, meaning there should be no disruption to anyone’s power during the replacement.

Both items passed unanimously.