, 
, 
, 
, 
Luverne city officials got a bird’s eye view of construction progress on wastewater treatment plant improvements, thanks to drone images by Cade Wenninger.
They hired the Luverne High School senior through his Skygenix business started through the CEO program (Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities).
The city paid Wenninger $200 to photograph construction progress in May 2020 and March 2021, and the video was shared with council members and staff last week.
It shows overviews and closeups of various stages of work, which includes:
•demolition of the 1950s trickling filter.
•oxidation ditch enhancements (two parallel oxidation ditches.)
•replacing the 1955 anaerobic digester with a new one.
•new electrical building with an emergency generator.
•new chemical storage building.
•new oxidation ditch treatment.
•increasing sludge storage from 650,000 gallons to 1,050,000 gallons.
•increased monitoring, control and automation of treatment processes.
Construction costs are being financed through bonds over the next 30 years for the plant that’s expected to last for the next 50 years.
Premium Minnesota Pork, which needed the extra wastewater treatment capacity, paid $6.7 million toward the $14 million project.
Gridor Construction, Buffalo, was awarded the bid and is more than 90 percent finished with the work.
The city’s Loop biking hiking trail follows the east side of the plant construction near the Rock River, and work on that part of the trail will be completed after waste water treatment plant construction is finished this fall.