City to Declare Lake Kampeska Phosphorous Filtration Plant as Surplus Property
- Steve Jurrens
- 52 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Northeast Radio SD News – Watertown, SD - The Watertown City Council on Monday night will consider declaring the Lake Kampeska Phosphorous Filtration Plant, located at 336 South Lake Drive, as surplus property. The move would allow the city to sell the long‑inactive facility at a future public sale.
The item appears on the council’s consent agenda, with City Manager Alan Stager recommending approval. A single vote approves items on the consent agenda unless a council member requests that an item be placed on the regular agenda for discussion and a separate vote.
According to the agenda memo, the building is “no longer needed for City purposes with the Upper Big Sioux Watershed being dissolved.”
A Facility Built for Water‑Quality Protection
The filtration plant was originally constructed as part of the Upper Big Sioux River Watershed Project, a multi‑decade effort aimed at reducing phosphorus levels entering Lake Kampeska. The watershed program, supported through federal EPA Section 319 grants, focused on nutrient reduction, shoreline stabilization, and long-term water quality monitoring.
The South Lake Drive facility served as a phosphorus filtration and treatment site, intercepting nutrient‑rich water before it reached the lake. The property is legally described as Watertown Water Co Outlot 1 (Water Filtration Plant), Tax Exempt, and is listed under fixed asset number 3571.
The watershed district’s operations wound down in the early 2020s, and the program was later dissolved, leaving the filtration plant without an active operational role.
No Major Financial Impact
City staff reports no major financial considerations tied to the surplus declaration. The action authorizes the city to dispose of the unused building through a future sale process.
The parcel, recorded under Record Number 18576, remains owned by the City of Watertown and is located on the east side of Lake Kampeska.
What Happens Next
If approved Monday night, the city will begin preparing the property for a future sale. No sale date has been announced.
The City Council meets at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall.
