The cities of Raymond and Elk Run Heights in northeastern Iowa are immediate neighbors and for years struggled to find the right solution to meet their unique wastewater treatment needs.

Former wastewater treatment system serving Raymond and Elk Run Heights.
In 1984, the communities banded together to construct a jointly owned and operated treatment facility to service both populations, yet the arrangement did not adequately resolve the requirements of each municipality. One community had excess amounts of ground water (Infiltration & Inflow) entering their system but was land-locked such that population growth was somewhat limited. The other community was small, had less I & I, but had significant growth projections for the next 20+ years.
These conflicting issues took time to resolve and were compounded by the effects of multiple flooding events in the region that further weakened the facility both mechanically and structurally. By this time, the Iowa DNR had intervened, mandating that the facility implement a compliance schedule to address recurring discharge violations pertaining to ammonia nitrogen, total nitrogen, E. coli, and dissolved oxygen.
Recognizing the need to work together to affect change, the cities of Raymond and Elk Run Heights retained MSA in 2015 to evaluate alternatives to address these issues. MSA’s approach to the project was firmly rooted in communication, concentrated around holistically understanding each party’s needs and introducing creative solutions to drive a decision for a replacement treatment facility that would satisfy the requirements of the DNR, each community’s budget, compliance needs, and long-range goals.
MSA evaluated various alternatives and utilized Building Information Modeling (BIM) to work through initial design concepts and formal design for this project. After careful consideration of alternatives and visualization of the end-product through the digital design tools, the two communities selected to move forward with the construction of a new Aero-Mod activated sludge system. The Aero-Mod system uses sophisticated clarifier technology and nutrient removal processes that employ ultraviolet (UV) light for disinfection. It also produces a sludge byproduct that, when properly treated, can be applied to local and regional farm fields as fertilizer.

Side-by-side comparison of a digital design rendering (left) utilizing BIM and the finished wastewater facility (right).
The new wastewater ‘campus’ for the communities of Raymond and Elk Run Heights is located on the property of the former facility — a low-lying parcel that required the addition of approximately 15 feet of fill spread across the entirety of the project site to boost the finished facility above the 100-year flood plain, which had been a source of damage and deterioration in the past. The new facility also includes a wastewater lagoon, UV disinfection building, laboratory, office building, and a climate-controlled garage for maintenance and storage.
MSA provided evaluation, planning and design services (civil, environmental, electrical, controls, HVAC, plumbing, architectural and structural), as well as onsite construction observation and administration for the project — a $9.73-million endeavor that was comfortably split between both communities. The resulting new Raymond-Elk Run Heights Wastewater Treatment Facility delivers safe, reliable performance, boosted flood resiliency, and long-term operational viability. More importantly, it mends the relationship between two close municipal neighbors and fortifies a commitment to collaborative, mutual success.