Long Term Control Plan

In 2012, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the City of Clinton settled in district court and agreed upon a Consent Order, Judgment, and Decree to comply with the Clean Water Act. This method of compliance is commonplace for most if not all combined sewer communities in the United States.

The "Consent Order, Judgment, and Decree" includes a schedule of compliance with state and federal wastewater treatment and combined sewer overflow policy. This schedule is what is known as the "Long Term Control Plan".

The Long Term Control Plan implementation schedule, as defined by the "Consent Order, Judgment, and Decree", includes language allowing the City to separate sewers "to the extent necessary to achieve compliance with the current EPA and DNR Combined Sewer Overflow Policy". The City of Clinton's Long Term Control Plan will limit combined sewer overflows to 4-6 times per year. Four to six overflows allowed in a year means a more affordable Long Term Control Plan than if none were allowed.

The first six years of the plan (2013 to 2018) are well defined, funded, and will cost around $30 million. By 2018, we will have a more exact projection on the total cost of the Long Term Control Plan. Current estimations are $40 million, which will be spread over 19 years, from 2019 to 2037.

Long Term Control Plan Schedule

  1. The City shall complete no later than December 31, 2014, the upgrade of the 25th Avenue Pumping Station, including an increase in capacity and the addition of an emergency generator. Until these upgrades to the 25th Avenue North Pumping Station are completed, the levee gate at Outfall 012 may remain open unless otherwise ordered by the Court
  2. The City shall complete no later than December 31, 2022, inflow/infiltration rehabilitation of the sewer system area northwest of Bluff Boulevard
  3. The City has determined not to build the parallel Beaver Channel Interceptor and has notified the Iowa DNR. The City will restore the original capacity of the Beaver Channel Interceptor, by replacing the 2 constrictive bottlenecks at South 5th Street and at Margaret Place with properly sized sewers. The project will be completed by March 31, 2016
  4. The City has determined not to directly connect the Margaret Street Pumping Station to the existing Beaver Channel Interceptor and has advised the Iowa DNR. The City shall complete an upgrade to the Margaret Place Pumping Station, including increased pumping capacity, no later than December 31, 2017
  5. The City shall complete no later than December 31, 2014, its evaluation of the flow capacity of the Lincoln Boulevard sewer to determine whether the City will construct a second Bluff Boulevard Pumping Station. The City shall include its decision and evaluation in its annual report for 2014, due on January 31, 2015
  6. The City shall complete no later than December 31, 2014, an investigation and inventory of all combined or storm sewers in the basin of CSO Outfall 013 in order to determine any cross-connections to sewers in the Basin of CSO Outfall 006. The City shall include the results of this study in its annual report for 2014, due on January 31, 2015. If CSO Outfall 013 is confirmed as storm water only, all requirements for CSO Outfall 013 hereunder shall cease
  7. The City shall complete no later than December 31, 2017, the separation of the storm water and sanitary sewers in the basin of CSO Outfall 009, 18th Avenue North
  8. The City shall complete no later than December 31, 2016, the upgrade of the 20th Avenue North Pumping Station, including an increase in capacity and installation of an emergency generator
  9. The City shall commence no later than July 1, 2019, and complete no later than December 31, 2037, separation of the storm water and sanitary sewers in the basin of CSO Outfall 006, to the extent necessary to achieve minimum annual combined sewer overflows consistent with EPA's CSO policy. The City shall submit a plan for the Basin 6 separation project(s) to the Iowa DNR as part of the 2018 annual compliance report, which will outline all proposed projects in detail
  10. The City shall continue storage of storm water in the primary clarifiers of the old wastewater treatment facility
  11. The City shall complete no later than December 31, 2018, separation of storm water and sanitary sewers in the basin of CSO Outfall 012, 25th Avenue North, as deemed necessary by the Iowa DNR to achieve minimum annual combined sewer overflows consistent with EPA's CSO policy
  12. The City shall no later than October 31, 2016, install an emergency generator for CSO Outfall 014 Pump Station
  13. The City shall commence no later than July 1, 2018, and complete no later than December 31, 2020, upgrades to the 1st Avenue Pumping Station, which include an increase in capacity and the addition of an emergency generator
  14. The City shall commence no later than July 1, 2019, and complete no later than December 31, 2021, the construction of the Bluff Boulevard Pumping Station, including an emergency generator
  15. The City shall commence no later than January 1, 2018, and complete no later than December 31, 2022, separation of the storm water and sanitary sewers in the basin of CSO Outfall 010, 20th Avenue North, as deemed necessary by the Iowa DNR to achieve minimum annual combined sewer overflows consistent with EPA's CSO policy
  16. The City shall commence no later than January 1, 2017, and complete no later than December 31, 2020, a new sewer line from CSO Outfall 009 to the 20th Avenue North Pumping Station. Notwithstanding this requirement, the City may request removal of this requirement from its Long Term Control Plan if the City can show the Iowa DNR that it is no longer necessary due to the positive impact of other projects conducted by the City to address CSOs
  17. The City shall no later than December 31, 2020, decide and notify the Iowa DNR of the City's decision whether or not to upgrade and modify the old wastewater treatment facility to a Wet Weather Facility