A planned wastewater treatment facility on the edge of Hartford is a perfect example of entities working together to make a multi-million-dollar project a reality.

“As you look at different qualifications to keep your lagoons up to date, we knew with the growth of Hartford that we would need to do something different to keep up with that growth,” explained Amy Farr, Hartford Area Development Foundation Executive Director.

With that in mind, for nearly four years, the City of Hartford, Minnehaha County, the State of South Dakota, and engineers have been working together on plans for the plant. Now, with plans in the design phase, construction is set to begin in the near future.

“This project is so important to Hartford so that we can have continued growth – for the community, for residential and commercial development, and both light and heavy industrial development,” said Farr.

The $16 million dollar project has been made possible by an $8 million grant from the South Dakota Department of Natural Resources (DANR), the City of Hartford, and other funding the city has secured.

“But the best part of working on this has been working collaboratively to help the future growth of Hartford. We are all coming together, not only for Hartford but for surrounding communities as well. This wastewater treatment facility could potentially be able to serve other communities by allowing them to hook onto Hartford’s plant,” said Farr.

She continued, “I think when you have all parties at the table, it helps everyone understand what Hartford is looking to do for the community as a whole. As Hartford continues to grow, it will help landowners and individuals outside of city limits partake in upgraded infrastructure needs as they are annexed in.”

Jesse Fonkert, President and CEO of Sioux Metro Growth Alliance (SMGA), agreed.

“This is a great example of the City of Hartford working with other communities to create solutions to help regional growth. This opportunity would help attract more growth to the region in and around Hartford including the communities that might connect to it.”

Heartland Energy, formerly Heartland Consumer Power District,  hosted their annual meeting recently in Madison and has been a great partner in economic development in the communities they serve. 

Because utility companies play such a vital role in economic development, GOED was proud to be among the group of community leaders, legislators, industry partners, and friends. 

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