St. Michael Wastewater Treatment Facility

Over the last three decades, Sambatek collaborated with the City Council and staff to envision the needs of the future, positioning the City for the greatest success.

• 2023 Upgrades: The City of St. Michael, MN has kicked off a major Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrade project. Led by Gridor Construction, designed by Sambatek and HR Green, it includes a new Influent Pump Station, Headworks Facility, Vehicle Storage Building, and a Dewatering and Covered Storage Facility.
  • This multiphase project aims to convert the City’s Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) Treatment Process to a Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) Treatment Process, benefiting the Crow River ecosystem. Watch for future updates as we track the progress of this project!

• 2019 WWTP Facilities Plan Update – Principal-in-Charge: Analysis of Plan performance with changing permit requirements
• 2013 WWTP Upgrade – Client Service Manager: Design and Construction of Aerobic Sludge Digestion
• 2013: WWTP Facilities Plan – Project Manager: Analysis of Plant performance to avoid surprises
• Sambatek has been the consultant of choice for the City of St. Michael since the design of a new mechanical wastewater treatment facility in 1994
• 1999 WWTP Facilities Plan – Project Engineer: Capital improvements plan for SBRs
• 1997 Pond Abandonment Plan – Engineer-In-Training: Conversions of ponds to future recreational facilities
• 1995 WWRP Upgrade – Engineer-In-Training: Design of Biolac Process and Reed Beds

Sambatek introduced a unique design for biosolids handling which offered substantial life-cycle savings compared to the conventional designs of the time. The success and distinctiveness of the project earned it the Seven Wonders of Engineering award from the Minnesota Society of Professional Engineers and a Grand Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC/MN).

In 1997, Sambatek helped the City transform its old wastewater lagoons into ball fields, a regional BMX track, and other recreational facilities.

In 2000, Sambatek led the plant expansion to help foster growth. Instead of building a massive Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) based on the highest volume of housing permits at a huge expense to St. Michael citizens, once again, Sambatek designed a Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) process that is particularly geared to handle fluctuations in the flow due to uncertainties in population growth. During the great recession, Sambatek’s phased approach to the SBR system allowed the City to take the economic hit of declining new house starts much more gracefully compared to other municipalities.

In 2021, Sambatek was retained by the City of St. Michael to develop a Facilities Plan to help prepare the WWTF for the next 20-year design life and to overcome challenging regulatory mandates. Sambatek has also worked on the WWTF improvement project that includes Headworks expansion, a new Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) liquid train, and the replacement of Reedbeds with new Biosolids handling facilities. The project is designed to establish Regulatory Certainty to help the City proactively avoid NPDES permit cycle pitfalls for the next 20 years.