EWEB Board Reviews Proposed Willamette Water Treatment Plant
EWEB is in the early stages of planning for a new water treatment plant on the Willamette River. At the utility's October 2021 public Board meeting, Chief Operations Officer Karen Kelley and Water Engineering Supervisor Wally McCullough presented information about the proposed plant and associated transmission project to the EWEB Board and heard input on the scope and commitment to fund the project. Commissioners also toured a potential treatment plant site last week.
Of the 20 largest cities in the Northwest, Eugene is the only one with a single source of water. If something were to happen that shuts off our McKenzie River drinking water supply, our community would have only about two-three days of stored water.
EWEB has made numerous attempts to build a second water treatment plant over the last several decades. In 2017, Commissioners directed staff to postpone planning and funding for the project, and instead focus short-term efforts on developing Emergency Water Stations. Since then, EWEB has worked with community partners to construct five emergency water distribution sites throughout the community.
Accessing the Willamette River as a redundant source is an important next step in ensuring we can provide service to our customers in case an emergency impacts the Hayden Bridge Filtration Plant or McKenzie River supply.
"The McKenzie River is an excellent source of water but is vulnerable to harmful algal blooms, chemical spills and wildfires," said Karen Kelley. In addition, we know that operations at the Hayden Bridge Water Filtration Plant would be disrupted in a significant seismic event.
"It is time to address our vulnerabilities," Kelley said. "The proposed project will increase our resiliency, improve our operational flexibility and reliability, protect our water rights and ensure our ability to meet growing water demands all while keeping our rates among the lowest in the state."
Comparator utility rates as of September 2021. Any 2022 rate changes not reflected here.
While the McKenzie River will continue to be Eugene's primary water source, under the proposed plans EWEB would draw water from the Willamette just below the confluence of the Coast Fork and the Middle Fork. Studies show the water quality in the upper Willamette is excellent and EWEB testing since 2013 shows water quality is remarkably similar to that at the McKenzie River intake location less than five miles away.
"As proposed, the new treatment plant will have robust treatment processes able to treat all anticipated raw water conditions in the Willamette, both with respect to water quality and taste/odor to a level higher than Hayden Bridge drawing from the McKenzie," said Wally McCullough.
While EWEB has been planning for years for a second source project, a great deal of work remains, including working with the City of Springfield to resolve the exact location of a treatment plant and land use permitting. We are still in the early stages of exploring and planning for:
- Capacity (how much water the plant will treat and deliver)
- Transmission and distribution of Willamette River water throughout the system
- Funding opportunities (bonds, grants, federal programs, etc.)
Although the intake and treatment plant have not yet been designed, the entire system will be built to modern seismic standards and designed to withstand the impacts of a large earthquake or other natural disaster.
A second treatment plant is just one of many investments EWEB is making in drinking water infrastructure. We are also strengthening our base-level water storage, building new transmission mains, developing emergency water stations, and restoring and protecting the McKenzie watershed.
Learn more about the Willamette water treatment plant project.
