The Fergus Falls Wastewater Treatment Plant. (KBRF photo / Dave Bishop)
FERGUS FALLS Minn. (KFGO-KBRF) – The City of Fergus Falls is notifying the public of a wastewater discharge associated with the extreme rainfall event on Sunday, September 6, 2026.
The Fergus Falls area received as much as 7 inches of rain in a short period of time. Normal wastewater flows of approximately 1,300 gallons per minute increased to as high as 7,000 gallons per minute between approximately 7:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.
Public Works Director Len Taylor says the extreme flows overloaded and short-circuited the treatment process, reducing normal treatment effectiveness. Treated and highly diluted wastewater and stormwater were discharged from the Wastewater Treatment Plant to the Otter Tail River.
Due to the extreme flow conditions, Taylor says the discharge may have contained elevated levels of fecal indicator bacteria, including E. coli.
Taylor says the event has ended and the treatment plant has returned to normal operation. There are currently no restrictions on recreational use of the Otter Tail River related to this event.
The City has reported the event to the appropriate regulatory agencies.
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