Rochester Secures $80M for Wastewater Treatment Upgrades

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - The State of Minnesota has announced more than $265 million in loans and grants for wastewater and drinking water infrastructure projects and a big chunk of that funding has been awarded to the City of Rochester.

The Minnesota Public Facilities Authority says a total of 27 projects aimed at replacing aging infrastructure and making system improvements to protect public health and water quality will benefit from the loans and grants. $182 million will come from the agencies Clean Water State Revolving Fund and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, which are supported through federal appropriations from the Environmental Protection Agency.

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Rochester has been awarded a total of $80 million. Most of it, $72 million, will be in the form of a low interest loan. The remaining $8 million will be grant money.

The city applied for the funding to finance a major rehabilitation project involving the community's wastewater treatment plant. Rochester officials say the work is needed to replace aging equipment and to meet more stringent federal limits concerning phosphorus discharges.

A groundbreaking ceremony for the project was held in August. It is expected to be completed in December 2026 with a total price tag of nearly $100 million.