Late 1960s

Original Sewer System Built

• The Catfish Creek Sanitary Sewer (CCSS) was built to carry wastewater to the Catfish Creek Lift Station (CCLS).
• These pipes are still working today, which is normal. Sewer pipes can last 60 years or more.
• However, when cities build interceptor sewers (the large pipes that carry wastewater from smaller pipes to a lift station or treatment plant), they usually design them to handle expected growth for the next 25 to 50 years.

1995

Lift Station Upgraded

• The CCLS was upgraded to handle 8 million gallons per day (MGD).
• This upgrade was based on expected growth over the next 20–30 years.

2000–2020

Growth in the Area

• Despite challenges due to terrain (steep slopes, bluffs, shallow rock, etc.), the City experienced significant growth within the Catfish Creek Sewershed in the last 20 years.
• Since the lift station was last upgraded in 1995 to a capacity of 8 MGD, the system’s flow increased by 6.5 MGD.

Late 2018

System Study Begins

• The City hired Strand Associates, Inc. to study the sewer system’s capacity.
• Flow meters and computer models were used to understand how the system performs during wet weather.
• The study found that during heavy rain, parts of the system become pressurized, raising the risk of sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs).

December 2020

Study Results Shared

• Strand delivered:
  • A full report on the sewer system.
  • A technical memo on how new industrial development could affect the system.

January 4, 2021

Funding Application Submitted

• The City applied for a $350,000 Planning & Design Loan through the State Revolving Fund (SRF) for the Catfish Creek Lift Station & Force Main Project.
• The project included system improvements to address wet-weather related overflows and provide capacity for future development within the Catfish Creek sewershed.

April 28, 2021

Initial Design Work Begins

• The City approved a contract with Strand to:
  • Create a 30% design for a new lift station on Old Mill Road.
  • This design level provided the cost estimates and design details needed for the City to submit a facility plan to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (Iowa DNR) to begin the SRF construction loan process.

May 2021

Facility Plan Submitted

• The City submitted a facility plan to the Iowa DNR.
• The plan included:
  • Construction of a new 20 MGD lift station.
  • 30-inch dual force mains to carry wastewater to the treatment plant.

June 7, 2021

City Council Approval

• The Dubuque City Council approved the facility plan and SRF application for the Old Mill Rd. Lift Station and Force Main Project.

February 2022

Final Design Agreement

• Through the RFP process, Strand Associates, Inc. was selected. 
• The City signed a contract with Strand to:
  • Finalize the design of the lift station and force mains
  • Assist City staff with bidding services and railroad permitting for horizontal bores under the railroad tracks
• City staff handled:
  • Site and utility design for the remainder of the project
  • Coordination with IDNR and property acquisitions

2022–2023

Environmental & Historical Review

• As part of the SRF process, the project underwent an environmental review.
• The Office of the State Archaeologist (OSA) conducted a phase I archaeological study due to a portion of the project alignment running through the old Town of Rockdale. Some artifacts from the settlement were recovered, and it was determined that a more in-depth phase II study was warranted.
• Due to the results of the phase II study, it was determined that an alternate alignment needed to be evaluated to avoid the Town of Rockdale.
• A second route was chosen to avoid the area, and the new alignment was approved by the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO).
• With the alignment approved, the design could then be completed for the entire project.

May 2024

Project Phased Due to Funding

• Due to available funding and the funding being spread over five fiscal years, a revised facility plan was submitted to the IDNR, which split the project into two phases.
  1. Phase 1: Build the lift station and prepare the site.
  2. Phase 2: Install the force mains and related structures from the lift station to the Water Resource and Recovery Center (WRRC)

June 2024

Revised Plan Approved

• The Iowa DNR approved the revised (two-phase) facility plan.
• Phase 2 will begin when funding becomes available in FY26 and FY27.
• Phase 2 will be completed before Phase 1 is finished.