GRAND FORKS – A nearly $7 million loan from the state of North Dakota will help Grand Forks finance sewer and water improvements in recently annexed areas on the city’s north end.

The funds, through the state water commission, allow the city

annexed residents will not pay special contributions,

which are generally 100% on the owners for new sanitary and water installations. Connecting people to the city’s water system also eliminates the need for septic tanks, reducing potential groundwater pollution.

“It’s a challenge to do developments like this because you have existing properties that you have to work around and existing systems that you have to connect to,” Assistant City Engineer Christian Danielson said. “These types of projects are therefore difficult and generally more expensive due to the need to work in an already developed area.”

Doing projects like this is unusual in Grand Forks. Typically, the city annexes greenfield sites that do not have existing infrastructure. For example, the Grand Valley development on the city’s south end plans a similar expansion of the sewer system to a new site.

and these sewer costs are assessed at 100% especially for new properties.

The loan the city receives will help finance the five phases of sanitary sewer expansion. In total, the cost of expanding the city’s sanitary sewer system is estimated at about $8 million, between construction and engineering costs. Phases one and two are already under construction and are expected to be completed in 2025.

According to Danielson, of all the utility expansions in the area undertaken by the city, construction is approaching the 50 percent mark. Subsequent phases of the project will likely last until 2029, according to city construction estimates.

“It’s a two-way street,” Danielson said of the sewer expansion. “It’s not just about attracting them (to the city), we also need to offer all the benefits that we would otherwise offer to anyone else in the city.”

The expansion of the sewer system in this area of ​​Grand Forks means that land owned by Fufeng USA will likely change classification. The land was always classified as agricultural land because it did not meet sufficient criteria to be

change according to the North Dakota Century Code.

Voigt covers government in Grand Forks and East Grand Forks.