It pays to be progressive. Just ask the city officials of
Mankato, Minnesota. This forward-thinking southern Minnesota
city of 32,000 was the first municipality in the state to
purchase a television system for assessing the internal
condition of its sewer lines. It is now one of the first cities
in the country to use the video documentation to secure federal
funds for the repair of a flood-damaged storm sewer. In
addition, it is using those funds for a long-term solution that
will better protect the storm sewer system the next time the
Minnesota River overruns its banks. Getting FEMA's Attention As
the waters from the Great Flood of '93 receeded, the City of
Mankato quickly began investigating soil problems occurring
around River Front Drive, a major thoroughfare located near the
river. The City retained MSA Consulting Engineers,
Minneapolis/St. Paul, to evaluate the storm sewer lines running
under the street. These pipelines carried storm water runoff
from the city's underground pipeline system to the Minnes