During every heavy rain, Fort Dodge Public Works Department employees have had to haul out portable pumps in an effort to prevent flooding in the basements of homes.

The pumps are used to remove water from sanitary sewers that become overloaded when the rain water gets into them. There used to be 23 manholes in the city where that kind of bypass pumping was necessary.

But when a big rain storm hit last spring, pumps were needed at only four manholes.

That dramatic reduction is the result of all the sanitary sewer improvements completed in the last eight years, according to an engineer.

Since August 2010, about $23.4 million worth of sanitary sewer upgrades have been completed, Derick Anderson, the regional manager for McClure Engineering Co., told the City Council Monday.

He said that when work now underway is done, that total will rise to $29.5 million.

Anderson presented options for another round of improvements that could cost up to $15.4 million.

He said the city could use a loan from the state government that has a 2 percent interest rate to help pay for the work.

During a workshop session Monday evening, all of the council members said they were in favor doing more sanitary sewer work.

Councilman Dean Hill said he has one concern about future sanitary sewer projects, however.

”My concern is rate increases,” he said. ”There are people out there that simply can’t afford it.”

The sanitary sewer improvements have been designed by McClure Engineering Co., of Fort Dodge, in an effort called the Community Sewer Initiative.

”We wanted to do a robust hydraulic strategy for the community,” Anderson said.

Rehabilitating sanitary sewers under portions of South 19th Street, 10th Avenue North and 20th Avenue North were the first three projects completed.

Also, two lift stations which contain pumps that force wastewater through the sewers to the wastewater treatment plant were replaced. The most visible of those new lift stations is along 32nd Street between First and Fifth avenues south.

Other sewer lines throughout the city have been repaired or replaced.

A new sewer line beneath Williams Drive and a new lift station not far from the Williams Bend neighborhood now under construction are among the proposed projects for the future.

The council made no decisions about any projects Monday.