News / June 23, 2016

Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony July 21 for New Stormwater Treatment and Research Facility

A worker stands next to the partially constructed St. Anthony Regional Stormwater Treatment and Research System in January 2016.

June 23, 2016 | For Immediate Release

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held July 21 for a new stormwater treatment and research facility near the border of Minneapolis and St. Anthony Village.

Community leaders and project partners will be at the event to mark the completion of the St. Anthony Regional Stormwater Treatment and Research System. This unique underground facility will capture and treat an estimated 169 million gallons of polluted stormwater runoff flowing into the Mississippi River each year.

“We invite community members to join us in celebrating this innovative facility and learn how it will help improve our water quality and allow us to test new ways of treating urban stormwater runoff,” said Mississippi Watershed Management Organization Executive Director Doug Snyder.

The event will begin at 5:30 p.m., with the ribbon-cutting at 6:00 p.m. Exhibits, demonstrations, and kids’ activities will be open until 7:00 p.m. Visitors will be able to learn about the system itself, as well as tips for preventing pollution at home.

In addition to protecting and improving water quality, the system will also serve as a testbed for new stormwater treatment technologies.

“The system was designed as a ‘plug-and-play’ research facility, which will allow new and emerging stormwater treatment technologies to be tested in a real-world environment,” said Todd Hubmer, Vice President of WSB & Associates, a design and engineering consulting firm for the project.

Community leaders scheduled to speak at the event include Kevin Reich, MWMO board chairman and Minneapolis city councilman, and Jerry Faust, St. Anthony Village mayor and MWMO commissioner.

“This event is our way of saying thank-you to the community members who supported us during the construction of this innovative facility,” said St. Anthony Village City Manager Mark Casey.

More information about the facility can be found at mississippiwmo.wpengine.com/sav.