Heavy rains regularly meant trouble in Fort Dodge a decade or so ago.

Many residents would have sewage backing up into their basements. Public works crews used to set up trailer-mounted pumps to pump sewage out of manholes.

The staff of McClure Engineering Co. documented all these problems in graphic form for the city, placing colored marks on a map to pinpoint the trouble spots.

The City Council saw that multi-colored map again Monday evening.

The elected officials also saw a new map showing current conditions. It was a plain map with no colorful spots denoting basement backups or the deployment of trailer pumps.

What made the difference, according to Derick Anderson of McClure Engineering, was a $55 million investment in the city’s sanitary sewer system starting in about 2012.

The effort is called the Community Sewer Initiative. A $22.50 charge on residents’ monthly utility bills is paying for it.

“We literally have given presentations on your program and the success of your program,” Anderson told the council.

The effort included the construction of two new lift stations that pump sewage to the wastewater treatment plant. It also included new sewer lines in six areas of the city, plus numerous repairs to sewers and manholes.

Figuring out what needs to be done next on the sanitary sewer system is the challenge now facing the engineers and city officials.

To help figure that out, the council on Monday hired McClure Engineering to do an evaluation at a cost of $208,950.

Anderson said eight flow meters will be placed throughout the city to gather data. He said a report will be submitted to the city in six months.