Dec. 6—NORTHERN TOWNSHIP — As Northern Township continues the long, arduous process of installing a sanitary sewer system around Lake Bemidji, Northern Township invites its residents to voice their thoughts and concerns about the project at a public hearing Monday takes place at 6:00 PM. December 9 at the North City Hall.
Fueled by some problems and failures with the septic system in recent years, the city has long sought a solution to protect Lake Bemidji – namely with a centralized system that would be easier to maintain and regulate compared to individual systems on every terrain.
Northern Township Administrator Chris Lahn noted that such discussions date back to the 1960s and 1970s, when Beltrami County conducted a study to see what type of system would be necessary and most beneficial to wastewater services around the entire Lake Bemidji .
“At the time, that report recommended expanding city services to the north side of the lake,” Lahn said. “Recommendations came in saying that given the (population) density on the lake, having some sort of centralized solution would work.”
The Environmental Protection Agency website states that centralized systems treat wastewater in one central location. Sewers collect municipal wastewater from homes, businesses and industries and deliver it to a treatment plant for processing. After the wastewater has been purified, it is reused or discharged into surface water or groundwater.
On the other hand, decentralized systems treat sewage from homes and businesses near the source where wastewater is generated, rather than collecting the waste and transporting it to a centralized treatment plant. Decentralized systems can provide an effective, low-cost alternative to a centralized system, which may be impractical in some situations due to distance, terrain, or other factors.
Several iterations of a sanitary sewer system have been established following discussions in 2021 about this
Ruttger’s Birchmont Lodge is having problems with a failing septic system.
A partnership was proposed between the city of Bemidji and Northern Township, whereby the municipality would be connected to the city’s water and sewer system for a stated fee.
The proposal fell through in the spring of 2023 due to concerns about annexation
and the county began installing its own system in hopes of bringing the project in line with Beltrami County’s plan to repave County Road 20.
“Everyone realized that if we could install the pipe all the way on the north side of the lake and do it in addition to the road construction, it would save our project over a million dollars,” Lahn said.
Ultimately, the municipality settled on a gravity flow design.
According to a feasibility report approved by the municipal council on November 12,
gravity service connections are inherently more cost-effective and easier to maintain for users than pump-assisted systems that require ongoing energy consumption and equipment maintenance.
“This approach minimizes the need for residents to invest in and maintain lift or grinding pumps, reducing long-term costs and simplifying system operation,” the report said.
However, due to certain topographical or locational issues, some properties would still require pump-assisted connections.
The total projected cost for the project is estimated at $12.8 million, including expenses associated with design, construction, development of treatment facilities and installation of infrastructure.
The city has received $6 million in federal grants to offset costs for local property owners, who would be responsible for 60% of the assessed value of the project’s non-sewage plant components. Estimated assessments are approximately $5.7 million.
All costs relate to phase one of the project, which would serve properties stretching from Northwoods Access on the northwest side of Lake Bemidji to Lavinia Access on the east side. Phase two of the project would complete the remainder of the shoreline to the edge of Bemidji’s Ward 5. The mechanical system is said to have already been installed east of the lake along Big Bass Road.
“We’re hoping to get more funding from the state — we’re looking at multiple options there — so we can do phase two in 2027,” Lahn said. “The plant would already be there, so at that point we would just have to put some more pipes in the ground.”
Lahn noted that the intent was to design a system that not only serves properties along Lake Bemidji.
“We definitely wanted something that would serve the entire community,” Lahn said. “In the near future – 10, 15 years from now – it would be really nice to get some lines into our commercial district, and this system has the capacity to do that.”
Residents have expressed their opinions about the project during numerous meetings. Most recently, some residents invited Sara Heger – a researcher and instructor in the Onsite Sewage Treatment Program at the University of Minnesota Water Resources Center – to present possible alternatives to the council’s current plans on November 12.
“Community members contacted our program at U of M because they were concerned about the direction the project was taking,” Heger said. “Ultimately, the decision you all make is a big community decision. What we’re advocating is that all the information and all the options are on the table so you make the best decision for your community.”
Certain residents expressed a desire to protect Lake Bemidji while imploring the city council to explore other options that could reduce costs and address other impacts of the project.
Heger spoke about a variety of centralized and decentralized systems, as well as the impact of phosphorus on water supplies.
“If you have low (population) density and good soils, the right solution is almost always a decentralized system,” Heger said. “As your populations get bigger and your soils get poorer, you start to look at clustering and sometimes a centralized solution.”
According to Lahn, the municipality examined the various solutions Heger presented and concluded that their current plan is feasible.
Other citizens noted that private systems had recently been installed on their properties, a dynamic Lahn hopes to address through a connectivity policy.
“There are a handful of people with newer systems,” Lahn said. “We are exploring options, if we can make it work, that might allow these residents to wait a little longer to get connected.”
Lahn noted that 63% of private septic systems in Northern Township are older than 25 years, while another 30 properties have no installation records.
“In all likelihood, these (30) properties fall into the exact same category because if they were newer we would have a record for them,” he said. “I would say 80% of the systems around Northern Township are over 25 years old, which are considered end-of-life systems.”
Citizens also expressed a desire for an independent feasibility study in addition to the report by Mark Fuller of Free and Grund Consulting Engineers. Township residents would likely foot the bill for the study, in addition to township dollars already used for Fuller’s report.
Heading into Monday’s public hearing, Lahn hopes to address citizens’ concerns as the administration seeks solutions to a long-standing conundrum.
“We really take feedback to heart and have made substantial changes to this project based on that,” Lahn ended. “We want to find a solution that works best for everyone.”
A full copy of the feasibility study can be found on the website
Website of the municipality of North.
