The eastern city limit of Sioux Falls is currently located on a ridge line.  This ridge line prevents the City’s gravity sewer from extending further east.  With the steady growth rate of Sioux Falls, the east side of Sioux Falls is planned to be the next growth area for development.  In the past, developers were allowed to develop land east of this ridge line if a lift station was installed to pump wastewater from the new developments into the existing sanitary sewer.  Wastewater flows by gravity west of the ridge line to the Water Reclamation Facility (WRF).  To eliminate the operating costs of several small lift stations, and provide an efficient and effective sanitary sewer system the City has been working with HDR Engineering to design a trunk sewer system to collect wastewater from new developments east of the ridge line, and gravity flow the wastewater to a single lift station located near the Big Sioux River and the Minnehaha/Lincoln County border.  This single lift station will then pump the wastewater to the existing WRF located on the northeast edge of Sioux Falls.   

The City of Sioux Falls is in the final design process of Phase I of the Eastside Sanitary Sewer System (ESSS).  Phase I will open approximately 9,000 acres to development with an efficient sanitary sewer system.  A project map link is located at the side toolbar of the webpage for review of the Phase I and Future ESSS project area and trunk sewer alignments.  Development will occur in accordance with established development standards, allowing property to request annexation when contiguous with other annexed property within the predetermined growth areas.

Final trunk sewer alignments are being determined for the ESSS project.  The City Real Estate Department is obtaining temporary construction easements and permanent maintenance easements for the Phase I trunk sewer alignments.  Construction of the Phase I trunk sewer will begin in the Spring of 2005 and continue for two construction seasons, with completion planned in the Spring of 2007.  The City plans to fund the ESSS Phase I project with an SRF Loan, and payments to the loan will be made with annexation recovery costs from property annexing into the City in the ESSS project area.

Trunk sewer design for the future project area of the ESSS project area, as can be seen in the project map via the side toolbar link, remains in the preliminary design stage.  Final design for these areas will occur when growth requires additional development areas. 

Involving the public in an early and contiguous manner is a very important objective of the ESSS process.  Therefore, the City of Sioux Falls has established this website as a means for interested parties to provide input into the ESSS project.  There are periodic newsletters, mailings, and public open houses to solicit input.  It is the intent of the City and their consultant, HDR Engineering, to work with interested parties.  This group is continuing to working together to direct the ESSS in hopes that all interests are considered in determining the best location for the sanitary trunk sewer, force main, and pumping station.