About Wastewater and Wastewater Treatment (AKA: Water Reclamation)

Clean water is critical for sustaining life and health of any community. Once wastewater disappears down sinks, toilets, floor drains, or other outlets, it does not just disappear. It flows through a network of underground sewer pipes making its way to water reclamation facilities where it is cleaned and safely reused and/or released back to the environment.

The City of Fargo owns, operates, and maintains a Publically Owned Treatment Works (POTW) consisting of the following components:

• Sixty-seven (67) sanitary sewer lift stations and associated sewer mains and manholes
• One (1) 17.5 MGD Regional Water Reclamation Facility (RWRF)
• Approximately 600 acres of stabilization lagoons
• One (1) 1.4 MGD Effluent Reuse Facility

Regional Water Reclamation Facility Mission Statement

To provide efficient and effective operation and maintenance of the City of Fargo Regional Water Reclamation Facility assets and to treat the wastewater of Fargo to effluent quality standards that meet or exceed the clean water standards put forth by federal, state and local government agencies.

Regional Water Reclamation Facility Objects:

• To provide effective operation, maintenance and repair of Regional Water Reclamation Facility assets in a manner that demonstrates integrity, responsibility, safety and economically sound practices.
• To provide a risk-based analysis approach to lift station rehabilitation project allocations.

Influent and Current Loadings

The RWRF influent design loadings along with current loadings are as follows:

• Design:
  Flow (MGD) - 17.5
  TSS - 40,400
  BOD5 - 39,435
• Current (2016)
  Flow (MGD) - 12.4
  TSS - 39,848
  BOD5 - 32,649

Treated effluent from the RWRF is discharged continuously to the Red River of the North. When the level in the Red River reaches 23 feet, pumps are needed to lift water into the river.

Wastewater stabilization lagoons may be utilized when the RWRF influent needs to bypass the facility, or if the RWRF effluent quality does not immediately meet discharge quality standards.

The City of Fargo RWRF operates in accordance with the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit number ND-0022870.