The City will strive to “reduce, reuse and replenish” our water resources for the purposes of being good stewards of the resource by:

• Conserving water that is pumped from the ground
• Responsibly managing the City's municipal infrastructure
• Reducing fees, charges, or water bills for those who conserve water
• Encouraging the recycling of water where possible
• Working with residents and businesses to slow the growth rate of water usage
   

2021:

The City of Hugo is currently working on the construction of the County Road 8 Stormwater Reuse project and is anticipated to be completed in Summer of 2023.  The project consists of reconnecting the City’s existing and new irrigation systems along County Road 8 (Frenchman Road), at City Hall, and Lions Park to a newly created system that will pump water from a nearby stormwater pond to irrigate adjacent green spaces.  By utilizing stormwater for irrigation, the City will be able improve the water quality of downstream surface water sources such as Peltier Lake, while also decreasing the total amount of groundwater pumped from nearby aquifers.  The project is anticipated to reduce the annual amount of groundwater pumped by the City by 14 million gallons. 

This project is currently being funded by a $392,400 Clean Water Fund grant from Minnesota’s Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment.  $176,000 in matching funds were provided by the Rice Creek Watershed District, and $50,000 from the Metropolitan Council. 

For more information Minnesota's Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment projects, visit:https://www.legacy.mn.gov/ 

2017:

The City is currently working with the Waters Edge Homeowners Association on a project to connect some of the currently used irrigation system to a newly created system that will pump water from a nearby stormwater pond. Construction is expected to take place Summer 2017.

2016:

The City completed a project in Beaver Ponds Park in Fall 2016.  The park used hundreds of thousands of gallons of potable water for irrigation each year and now, the system is set up to pump stormwater out of a nearby pond to irrigate the park.

2015:

The City completed a project at the Oneka Ridge Golf Course in Fall 2015.  A large stormwater pond was excavated along the 18th tee and fairway and now collects stormwater runoff from 915 acres of land. From there, stormwater is pumped and used by the golf course for irrigation instead of using groundwater. Excess water beyond that needed for irrigation is sent to an infiltration system in the southwest corner of the golf course. The RCWD expects that this project will reduce the golf course's dependency on groundwater for irrigation by 40-50%.

This project was funded by a $497,100 Clean Water Fund grant from Minnesota’s Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment. $113,700 in matching funds were provided by the RCWD and the City of Hugo. Including in-kind staff support provided by all three project partners, the total project cost was approximately $689,000.

To find out more about this project, please click here to be directed to the Rice Creek Watershed District Website.