SMSC Water Reclamation Facility
Facility Exterior

The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community has the distinction of operating the most advanced Water Reclamation Facility in the State of Minnesota, one with characteristics rarely found in a wastewater plant in the United States. The SMSC facility, which opened in 2006, treats wastewater using a combination of advanced "ultra-filtration" European technologies. A biosolids drying process that is the first of its kind in the United States creates a product usable as fertilizer on lands within the Community.

The Facility features a 31,000-square-foot green roof, the largest in the Upper Midwest, which contains more than 45,000 seedlings along with seeds for native prairie grasses and flowers. The green roof system disperses significant amounts of water back into the atmosphere through evaporation and transpiration. During dry spells, the plant life on the roof can be supported using reclaimed wastewater from the treatment process itself, yet another benefit of the high level of treatment the facility provides.

Water flowing out of the facility may be routed through two wetlands within the Community and then into a large irrigation pond from which it is used to irrigate The Meadows at Mystic Lake Golf Course. The entire process is enclosed in an attractive building, which provides odor control and improved aesthetics.



 
Mystic Lake Casino HotelThe MeadowsDakotah! Sport & FitnessPlayworksLink Event CenterDakota MeadowsShakopee Dakota Convenience Store