Public Works Update

June 6, 2025

2025 Street & Utility Project

Linn Drive SW/Oakdale Street SW

The 2025 Street & Utility Project was awarded to Wencl Construction. Planned work is weather dependent and dates are subject to change. Any access restrictions will be communicated by the contractor.

Weekly Recap: Wencl continued with watermain and sanitary services on the West leg of Linn, from Oakdale heading south.

Upcoming Plans: Subcutting has begun on the East leg of Linn heading approximately 300 ft south and then base materials will go down in that area. This should supply some reprieve to more residents as far as access and road drivability.  They plan to continue south with sub cutting and base materials to further this accessibility as quickly as possible.  We appreciate the residents’ patience with the weather and less than desirable conditions caused by that.

2025 Street & Utility Project Map.

2025 18th Street SE Trail Extension

Ulland Brothers began construction on a Pedestrian and Bicycle Trail running along the South side of 18th Street SW and the North side of 18th Street SE on June 2nd. 

Weekly Recap: Work this week involved preparation for the installation of the underground stormwater system and the same nature of work is expected to continue next week.

18th Street SE Trail Extension Map

Wastewater Treatment Facility 

Retaining Wall Project

The existing retaining wall on the northeast side of the Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF) will be replaced with a Reinforced Soil Slope (RSS) wall. The design grade for the WWTF site requires either the existing retaining wall height to be increased or it needs to be replaced with a new system that accommodates the change in grade. The existing wall shows evidence of distress and adding height to the wall is not advised. An RSS wall is recommended as it is the most cost-effective option and causes the least disturbance to existing utilities. 

Construction of the replacement wall is scheduled to begin on July 7th and will result in the closure of the North Straight River Trail for 6 to 8 weeks. An update and confirmation of the construction start date will be provided as the anticipated start date approaches. 

Vine Street Parking Lot

Miscellaneous items for the Vine Street Parking Lot will be completed in the following weeks to close out the project. 

2025 CIPPS

Work on the CIPPS Project has been ongoing since mid-March. The contractor, Hydro-Klean, has completed all precleaning and televising and has moved on to the lining process. Affected property owners will receive door knockers prior to the lining. Any questions or concerns related to the work should be directed to Hydro-Klean at 1-855-845-5326. The project is nearing completion with only a few segments left. 

2025 Overlay

1.56 miles of roadway will be overlayed by the Owatonna Street Department in 2025. Steve James Excavating will begin replacing and adjusting manhole and catch basin castings/structures in preparation of the paving to take place this summer. 

They plan to begin prep work in the next few weeks, and it is expected to take approximately one week to complete. Please use caution when approaching the work area. 

The work areas can be seen highlighted in red on this map. 

View the interactive project map to see where work will be taking place this season: Engineering Project Map | Owatonna, MN. 

Wastewater Treatment Facility Expansion

Year Three Summary

Update provided by Jennifer Svennes – Nero Engineering

The Owatonna Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF) is three years into construction of its upgrade and expansion project. At the end of construction, the WWTF will be nearly double its current capacity which will serve the City’s expected growth over the next 25 years. The project completion dates have been extended by 210 days, which equates to a revised substantial completion date of October, 27, 2025, and a revised final completion date of January 26, 2026. The contract extension was due to sizable delays in receiving electrical gear, primarily Motor Control Centers (MCCs).

The Owatonna WWTF expansion project includes three new buildings as well as to the existing facility. The first year of construction largely focused on the construction of the three new buildings: the Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) Building, the Fine Screen Building (FSB), and the Solids Thickening Building (STB). The second year of construction focused on the work within the FSB and MBR as well as rehabs of the Primary Clarifiers (PC), Aeration Basins (AB), and site piping. The third year of construction has progressed from the liquid treatment train to the solids treatment upgrades including work in the Return Activated Sludge (RAS)/ Waste Activated Sludge (WAS) Complex (RWC), Solids Thickening Building, and Digester Treatment Complex (DTC).

Overall, the project is nearly 94% completed. 

Visit the Wastewater Treatment Facility Expansion webpage to learn more about the details for each building and the project’s progress. 

Stormwater Management

What is stormwater runoff?

Stormwater runoff is water from rain or snow that does not soak directly into the ground. Instead, it flows from rooftops, across paved areas and sloped lawns. Different types of land cover produce different runoff rates and volume. Additional impervious surfaces result in increased runoff amounts.

What is the difference between stormwater and sanitary systems?   

City storm sewers are separate from sanitary sewers and do not drain into municipal wastewater treatment facilities. They carry stormwater runoff from catch basins into streams, lakes and wetlands. The sanitary sewer is a system of underground pipes that carry sewage from bathrooms, sinks, kitchens and other plumbing components to the wastewater treatment plant where it is filtered, treated and discharged. Stormwater is not treated by the wastewater treatment facility.

Thank you for your patience as these projects and other miscellaneous tasks are completed. 

Please remember to slow down and remain attentive when approaching work areas.