A few weeks ago, members of the Senate's Capital Investment committee visited Zumbrota for a firsthand look at the North Zumbro Sanitary District project. They listened to a presentation about why the project is important, asked questions about the plan, and got a real sense of what this would mean for our area of the state. I appreciate them taking the time. It's not every day other legislators get out to see the needs on the ground and talk directly with the people involved, especially in a rural district like ours.
As you know, I've never been shy about my view on bonding bills. Over the years, I've voted against most of them. They are typically jammed full of wasteful or unnecessary projects with political motivations, while truly critical needs are left out. Bonding, which accrues liability to the state's credit card, should be used sparingly and carefully, focusing on the most urgent infrastructure needs. The North Zumbro project is one of those. If there is a bonding bill in 2026, it deserves to be included.
Here’s what the project is: Over 5 years ago, the cities of Goodhue, Pine Island, Wanamingo, Zumbrota, and the Prairie Island Indian Community united to form a new regional sanitary district. Four of these communities had existing facilities that were aging, breaking, and strained by their current needs. Plants in Pine Island and Wanamingo sit in flood-prone areas, where they have flooded in the past. Space to expand is limited. And abiding by increasingly restrictive environmental rules is getting to be challenging and expensive.
Keeping four or five small plants running is costly, inefficient, and limits the ability of these towns to grow. So instead of each city trying to maintain and upgrade its own outdated wastewater facility, the district will build one new, state-of-the-art plant near Zumbrota, connected by lift stations and force mains laid mostly along existing MnDOT and county rights-of-way. And each community will save significant money.
It's practical, it's collaborative, and it will hopefully serve as a model for future projects around the state. It's exactly the kind of idea that justifies asking to assist.
These communities have crafted a plan that is both smart and feasible. The estimated total cost of the North Zumbro project is about $109.5 million. That sounds like a large number, but building and maintaining four separate new plants would cost much more. Consolidation saves around $12 million in construction costs and is expected to save roughly $1 million a year in operating and maintenance expenses for decades to come.
The benefits go beyond saving taxpayers money. For those of us who care about the health of the Zumbro River, the new facility will mean just one discharge point instead of four. That makes monitoring much simpler and improves water quality. Staffing will be easier, more efficient, and specialized. Sampling and testing requirements will be much more manageable. Performance and reliability will be stronger. The flood risks will be eliminated. And most importantly, our communities will finally have a long-term wastewater solution.
This project has already earned broad state and local support. Goodhue County, each of the cities involved, and the Prairie Island Indian Community are all in support. In 2023, the Legislature provided $10 million for land acquisition and pre-design work. The next step is securing additional funding so that construction can move forward.
Yes, I am not the biggest fan of bonding. But when I look at the North Zumbro Regional Sanitary District project, I see a clear example of what bonding should be used for: a critical, urgent regional need that individual communities cannot afford on their own. The leaders of Goodhue, Pine Island, Wanamingo, Zumbrota, and Prairie Island have done a lot of hard work to get to this point, and they deserve the state’s partnership to get across the finish line.
For our families, our businesses, our communities, and our future growth, this project is essential. I am thankful the committee came to see it again with their own eyes. Now it is time to finish the job.