RC Public Works Committee approve land for farming

RAPID CITY, S.D. — On Tuesday, the Rapid City’s Public Works Committee approved land formerly used by water reclamation to be used for farming.

Prior to 2003, the land was used by the city’s waste water site for the disposal of sludge. As nitrates began to build-up on the property it was decided the site would be closed in 2004.

Later, the land southeast of the city’s reclamation facility was opened to for farming as a way of getting rid of nitrates in the soil to help redeem the property.

But you can’t just plant any crop to do the job right.

“Originally the plan was to do more of a forest type of tree products,” said Assistant Rapid City Public Works Director Stacey Titus. “However, the soils weren’t conducive to trees and we recently switched over to the western wheat grass which has deep soil structure and works well for the remediation out at the site.”

A fee is paid to the city for the use of the land for farming and the property is in its 10th year of a 100-year remediation plan.