Sturgis: More Than a Motorcycle Rally

The City of Sturgis is located approximately 28 miles west of Rapid City in western Meade County, South Dakota. The City reports a permanent population of approximately 7,000 people. The permanent population is increasing, and the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally held in August of each year draws between 400,000 and 800,000 visitors during the 2-week event. The existing City of Sturgis wastewater treatment facility consisted of an influent Parshall flume, mechanical 6mm fine screen, an influent flow meter, an aeration pond, two secondary treatment ponds, and one irrigation storage pond. The facility was constructed in 1963 with improvements made in the 1990s, and in 2016. Effluent disposal was through spray irrigation with no permitted direct discharge to the nearby stream, Bear Butte Creek. However, emergency discharges directly to Bear Butte Creek became a common occurrence in recent years because irrigation properties have not been able to handle the volume of treated wastewater produced by the facility, mainly due to wet conditions. The City selected Advanced Engineering and Environmental Services (AE2S) to collect data, evaluate, assess, and study the existing wastewater treatment system. The results were compiled in a 2016 Facility Plan, which also provided an in-depth analysis of future upgrades necessary to meet current and future needs. The Facility Plan provided a recommendation for installation of membrane bioreactor (MBR) treatment system, along with flow equalization, influent pump station, fine screens, grit removal, ultraviolet disinfection, non-potable effluent reuse, and effluent re-aeration prior to discharge to Bear Butte Creek. The average day design flow for the MBR facility is 1.0 million gallons per day (mgd), with capability for a phased expansion to 2.0 mgd. Nutrient discharges are not yet restricted in South Dakota, although Bear Butte Creek is designated as a cold-water fishery with categorical 10 mg/L BOD and 10 mg/L TSS limits, and a less than 2 mg/L ammonia limit.

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