Water Storage Improvement Projects |
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Access to clean water is vital to our community.
EWEB is hard at work making sure safe, reliable water continues to flow even as critical infrastructure ages and new challenges arise. In the next decade, we plan to construct new water storage facilities near 40th Ave. and Donald St. and replace the water storage systems at EWEB's College Hill and Hawkins Hill sites. The projects will be built to seismic and contemporary operating standards, providing more than 40 million gallons of resilient, safe water storage.
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Dear East 40th Neighbors, |
In this email, you'll find:
- Recap of March 5-6 neighbor meetings
- Update on tank siting and construction decisions
- Links to project reports and April 6 Board meeting materials
- Note to adjacent neighbors
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Recap of neighbor meetings |
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Following is a short recap of topics discussed at the meetings:
Project background and important considerations
Building a water storage facility is complex under the best of circumstances. Building in the middle of an established neighborhood on a site that is home to multiple wildlife habitats is an enormous challenge. There are no simple solutions.
EWEB has invested more than a year in the research and planning process. Some of the considerations that have gone into the design of the E. 40th water storage facility include:
- Drinking water safety and quality
- Engineering and construction constraints
- Impacts to neighbors
- Environmental considerations
- Construction costs
Ecological Inventory Report
Lizzie Zemke from DOWL Environmental Specialists presented the results of the ecological survey and led neighbors on a tour of the site to learn more about the habitat/ecology assessment. Some of the conclusions of the independent survey are:
- Several habitats exist on the site
- No threatened or endangered species are known to occupy the site
- Several large Douglas fir trees live on the ridge; this forested community does not provide "high habitat value" when compared with the on-site oak woodland
- Oak woodlands have been identified by state and local resource protection agencies as priority habitats for protection and restoration
Lizzie also discussed several steps EWEB can take to maintain or improve the health of the site, including creating snags, replanting with native species, and removing ivy, poison oak, and conifers that are currently shading the edges of the oak woodland.
Triple Bottom Line (TBL) assessment
EWEB contracted an outside engineering firm to develop a TBL assessment that evaluates all feasible site layout configurations through the lens of social, environmental, and financial factors.
Tom Boland of Murraysmith Associates described the TBL process, which included weighting, evaluating, and scoring several criteria:
- Excavation quantities and truck trips
- Construction duration
- Number, types, and sizes of trees to be removed
- Number of neighbors who have viewshed changes
- Total construction cost
Clearing, preparing, and excavating the site
Based on the geotechnical investigations, it has been determined that controlled blasting will be required for economical and efficient rock removal.
We discussed some common misconceptions about controlled blasting and the steps that are taken to prevent damage and minimize impacts on neighbors and the environment. Controlled blasting is not only less disruptive than mechanical excavation, but also highly regulated. Only proven and safe methods will be used.
Construction planning
We anticipate the first construction activities will begin mid-2021 and neighbors will be given three months' notice before earthwork begins.
We will have more information about clearing the site and construction planning in the coming months as we develop and share a Construction Mitigation Plan, which is a combination of diagrams, documents, drawings, and specifications that clearly define the steps that will be taken to minimize impacts to neighbors. The plan will cover things like dates and hours of construction, steps to protect neighboring properties, fencing plans, construction traffic control, erosion control, dust and noise mitigation requirements, and more.
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Update on tank siting and construction decisions |
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These are large infrastructure projects and there is no way to construct them without impacting neighbors and the ecology of the site. However, the research and planning process has been invaluable to our ability to make a well-informed and sustainable decision for the entire community that we serve.
At the April 6 EWEB Board Meeting, the Board will be asked to “endorse” a Record of Decision, by which the General Manager, based on Staff and Management recommendation, concurs with the identified tank siting locations on the eastern-most portion of the site and the construction of both tanks concurrently commencing in 2021.
Why this location?
The TBL assessment revealed there is approximately $1 million difference in construction costs between various tank location options, and no significant difference in the construction process or the total number of trees impacted.
However, the location on the eastern-most portion of the site came out ahead in all TBL criteria evaluated, and has a few distinct advantages:
- Minimizes impacts to an Oregon Strategy Habitat
- Requires the least amount of rock excavation, reducing the duration, noise, and cost of construction
- Impacts the viewshed for the fewest neighbors
Why construct both tanks concurrently?
In addition to the TBL prepared by the outside engineering firm to help determine tank placement, EWEB prepared a second Triple Bottom Line assessment to understand the impacts of constructing both tanks concurrently, compared to the preliminary plan of constructing one tank in 2021, and a second tank in 2030.
For both options, we assessed costs, duration of construction, total number of truck trips, impacts to Patterson St. traffic, and disruption to the site and to neighbors.
Looking at several criteria, we determined that building both tanks concurrently has some notable advantages:
- Saves approximately $1,400,000 (2021 Net Present Value)
- Consolidates the work into a single disruptive period, avoiding a second round of neighborhood disruption
- Limits Patterson St. wear and tear and coincides with City of Eugene street repairs
- Results in 2,100 fewer truckloads, reducing noise, street damage, and carbon emissions
It is estimated that constructing both tanks concurrently will disrupt the site for a total of 3 years, compared to a total disruption period of 4 years under a staggered construction schedule.
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Note to adjacent neighbors |
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We know that a project of this scale and magnitude is going to be very disruptive to a quiet
neighborhood and we appreciate that neighbors understand the need and value for water storage as these projects will be the backbone of a water system that will serve the entire Eugene community.
We also appreciate the constructive dialogue about ecological protection, public access, construction impacts, and other topics.
We are committed to open and frequent communication with all neighbors throughout the planning, construction, and restoration process and we look forward to partnering with you during the landscape design process to determine plantings, walking paths, and other features that are valuable to residents and appropriate to the neighborhood.
If you have questions or input, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the project team at
- Laura Farthing, Project Manager/Senior Civil Engineer
- Jen Connors, Communications Supervisor
- Jeannine Parisi, Customer Relationship Manager
- Wally McCullough, Water Engineering Supervisor
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