Work underway on massive storm water pump station next to Broadway
Construction on a key component of the first phase of flood protection in Minot starts in earnest this week, which when done will give peace of mind for a large part of north Minot when heavy rains or river flooding comes. The Broadway Pump Station, a storm water pump station at the corner of Broadway and Fourth Avenue, makes up a substantial piece of the Phase MI-1 4th Avenue flood protection project, and when finished will be able to pump 180,000 gallons of water per minute. The Souris River Joint Board (SRJB) made sure this pump station was included in the first phase of the enhanced flood protection to give appropriate protection to north Minot when mother nature hits.
“Having this large storm water pump station in the first phase of construction gives thousands of homeowners and hundreds of businesses the security they need and the ability to stay dry during a storm or during flood conditions on the Souris River,” said David Ashley, Souris River Joint Board chairman. “Once the Maple Diversion is complete, this pump station will collect the storm water runoff from 2,260 acres of Minot – almost all of north Minot. With the underground utility work being done over the next year, all that new piping and consequent water runoff will be directed to the pump station and not have to go through the base of the floodwalls. This makes the floodwalls, homes and businesses even more secure.”
Park Construction anticipates substantial completion of the pump station to take 12 months. One of the first steps is digging a 35-foot-deep excavation to begin foundations for the lowest point of the station, the wet well. A wet well is the point where all the water runoff collects prior to be being pumped into the Souris River. Once finished, the Broadway Pump Station’s wet well will be bigger than a basketball court. Four large pumps and four smaller ones, manufactured specifically for this project, will be located within the wet well of the pump station. Once completed, the Broadway Pump Station will be one of, if not the largest storm water pump station in the state.
The Phase MI-1 Fourth Avenue enhanced flood protection project is a six block stretch of levees, floodwalls, a new sanitary lift station, and a major storm water pump station from just west of Broadway to the east side of Third Street NE. Construction on this phase is scheduled to be complete in late 2020.
