Landowner Addresses City Council Over Unresolved Sewer Line Damages

This is a photo to REPRESENT a tractor in a field. It is NOT the field in the article.

Northeast Radio SD News - Watertown, SD - The Watertown City Council meeting concluded Monday with a dedicated Open Forum discussion where a local landowner and his tenant voiced long-standing concerns regarding unresolved land restoration issues related to the 2012 installation of the Northeast Interceptor sanitary sewer line (Project 1119).

Jim Orus, the property owner, and his tenant, Nathan Reichling, approached the Council to seek a resolution to the problem of non-productive soil and farm hindrance caused by the construction.

Orus recounted that in 2011, he donated the necessary easement to the City with the understanding that the land, which is still actively farmed, would be "restored to its original condition."

The speakers presented a letter from then-City Engineer Tom Drake that confirmed the City's agreement to restore the property. However, Orus stated that the heavy excavation required for the 28-foot-deep sewer line resulted in clay and subsoil being placed on the surface instead of the black topsoil.

"The clay that was deep below the earth is now our farmland. This clay will not raise a crop," Mr. Orus stated, noting that yield maps confirm a significant loss of production over the last 12 to 13 years in the area of the sewer line.

Reichling added that the visible strip of clay, which does not support a crop, is a continuous issue, comparable to a homeowner having a strip of scorched earth across their yard.

The residents are requesting the Council's assistance in two specific areas:

1.    Soil Restoration: They are seeking to have black topsoil—potentially from existing City stockpiles—placed over the non-productive area above the sewer line to restore the land's viability.

2.    Manhole Mitigation: They requested the placement of fiberglass flags by the eight manholes installed on the property's west side. The manholes, located just 35 feet from the property line, hinder farming. Flags would serve as markers, allowing the tenant to plant and farm around them more effectively without damaging equipment.

Orus stated he had contacted City engineering staff several times over the years, but was recently advised that the issue be brought before the Council for a final resolution. Mayor Holien advised the residents to leave their contact information to facilitate follow-up after the meeting.