The Sioux Center City Council has voted to move forward with a major wastewater system expansion, sending the project out to bid after hearing from engineers who say the city’s current system will not be able to handle future growth.
Wes Boyer, a project manager with Bolton & Menk Engineering, told the council the project is designed to relieve strain on what he described as the city’s “center core” wastewater system, which carries much of Sioux Center’s wastewater.
Boyer explained that as development continues, particularly on the north side of town, additional wastewater is being pushed through older infrastructure that was not designed to handle current or future capacity.
The recommended improvements, known as the East Interceptor project, include increasing capacity on the main trunk sewer line, constructing a new lift station at Sioux Center High School, installing a new forcemain along 13th Avenue SE, and diverting flow from the Joe’s Lift Station to reduce pressure on the system.
The project is estimated to cost between $5.3 million and $6.1 million, based on engineering projections.
City officials say the improvements were first outlined in a 2022 sanitary sewer collection system master plan, which anticipated the need for future expansion as Sioux Center continues to grow.
Some of the city’s existing sewer infrastructure in central Sioux Center dates back to the 1920s, when the city’s population was about 1,500 people. Sioux Center’s population today is more than five times that size.
Council members also discussed delivery options for the project, including traditional design-bid-build and construction manager at risk, or CMAR. City officials indicated they plan to use the traditional low-bid method, noting the project is relatively straightforward from an engineering standpoint.
The Sioux Center City Council voted unanimously to move the project forward to the bidding phase.
City officials say they will return to the council with bids once the process is complete, which will determine the final construction cost and project timeline. City officials anticipate construction could begin in 2026, depending on the bidding process.
