Madison Metro doubles budget for struvite harvesting upgrades to $2.67m

Madison Metro doubles budget for struvite harvesting upgrades to $2.67mThe Wisconsin wastewater utility has expanded the scope of its dryer and seeding modifications project to replace aging ancillary equipment and improve operator safety, pushing the bulk of the new capital expenditure into its 2027 budget.

The Commission authorized increasing the project budget from $1.3 million to $2.67 million to replace deteriorated struvite harvesting dryers and automate the seeding process.

The expanded scope includes new dewatering screens, relocation of electrical conduits, and the preemptive replacement of ancillary equipment to avoid future capital projects.

The struvite harvesting building, constructed in 2013, also recently sustained wind damage that blew out a wall section, according to the Executive Director.

In a separate capital approval, the Commission awarded a $379,800 engineering services contract to KL Engineering for the Northeast Interceptor Truax Extension Rehabilitation project.

The Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) Commission voted on April 16, 2026, to approve a sweeping scope expansion and budget increase for the dryer and seeding modifications project at its Nine Springs Wastewater Treatment Plant. Originally budgeted at $1.3 million in the 2026 Capital Improvements Plan, the project's total authorized cost has now been increased to $2.67 million. The project targets the plant's struvite harvesting system, which precipitates phosphorus from wastewater filtrate to produce a commercial fertilizer. According to district documents, the existing harvesting equipment, installed in 2013, has deteriorated to a state requiring frequent maintenance and outages. The cost increase stems from updated estimates provided by design engineer Applied Technologies, Inc., which revealed that original 2018 projections were insufficient. The revised scope now features upgraded dryers with automated wash-down systems and improved access hatches. Furthermore, MMSD opted to preemptively replace ancillary equipment that would otherwise require a separate capital project within the next decade, as accessing the aging dryers requires the complete removal of surrounding mechanical and electrical systems. The project will also introduce new dewatering screens to reduce fine product buildup in the dryers and an automated seeding system. Currently, operators must use a hoist to manually lift large bags of fine struvite high above the building floor to seed the reactors; the automated system is expected to significantly improve worker safety. Bidding for the project is anticipated in late 2026, with the bulk of construction and expenditure slated for 2027. The project comes at a critical time for the facility; during his operational update, Executive Director Eric Dundee noted that recent severe windstorms blew out a wall section of the struvite harvesting building and damaged covers on the plant's primary tanks. In a separate procurement decision during the same meeting, the Commission awarded a $379,800 engineering professional services contract to KL Engineering, Inc. for the Northeast Interceptor Truax Extension Rehabilitation project. The consultant will handle surveying, hazardous material investigation, and complex work zone management for the cured-in-place-pipe (CIPP) lining project.