An estimated 169 million gallons of polluted stormwater runoff will be captured and cleaned each year by this underground treatment and research facility near St. Anthony Village. The $1.6 million project is projected to cut pollution levels by more than half for stormwater runoff flowing from the southern half of the city into the Mississippi River.

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The system will use a combination of technologies to remove an estimated annual average of 39 tons (63 percent) of sediment and 176 pounds (47 percent) of phosphorus. The primary treatment method uses a combination of chambers and flow controls to trap, settle and remove pollutants from stormwater runoff. A secondary treatment system consisting of two separate filtration devices will remove additional pollutants. The secondary system will also allow researchers to easily plug in new and emerging treatment technologies to test their effectiveness in removing pollution from stormwater runoff.

The facility will treat an area that covers approximately 600 heavily urbanized acres. Runoff from the area flows through Minneapolis and discharges into the river.