Small Towns Near Fargo-Moorhead Deal With Rapid Growth

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Fargo–Moorhead is growing rapidly every day.

This boom has affected small towns nearby.

“A lot of the community surrounding Fargo has seen some growth,” says Cass Rural Water District General Manager Jerry Blomeke.

There’s a development project undergoing in Reile’s Acres, a small city which is a suburb of Fargo and West Fargo, right now.

Just off Interstate 29, 100 homes are being built.

People looking for an alternative home away from the city are contributing to the rapid growth of small towns.

Mapleton, Horace, and Reile’s Acres are just some that has experienced this growth.

One of Horace’s biggest problems is their wastewater.

“Horace has an existing lagoon system that’s pretty much at capacity and that’s one of the limiting factors to continue development,” says Blomeke.

Figuring out how where to place their wastewater has been an ongoing problem for the past few months.

Expanding the sewage lagoon would cost millions.

But the mayor of Horace is confident they will find a solution for this problem.

“We definitely will either build a lagoon we’re well hook up with Fargo and West Fargo,” says Mayor of Horace, Mayor Shane Walock.

Hooking up with Fargo will be the fastest process but not a favorable decision by the City Council.

Horace still faces another stifle to their growth.

“Another struggle for development and everything is how to get them going and how to provide water,” says Walock.

This aquifer near St. Benedict’s has reached its limit serving to the community of Horace.

According to the Cass Rural Water they plan to expand aquifers to help better serve the area.

Approvals for the plan can take up to a year.

“We’ll start design and construction either later 2016…early 2017,” says Blomeke.

The demand for this expansion comes from inquires who want to purchase developments.

Getting more water and finding a lagoon for wastewater seems to be Horace’s biggest challenges.

The mayor of Horace says the City Council will actively look at lagoon designs and sketches this winter.

They also have to take into account for the fees if they use other nearby lagoons.