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Water Storage Improvement Projects
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 Patterson 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.
March 29, 2023

Dear East 40th Neighbors,
Construction crews are preparing to start the next major phase of work: wire-wrapping the tanks and covering them in shotcrete. Please see important safety reminder below.
Wire-wrapping the tanks is required for earthquake resiliency. The cables are high strength, galvanized 7-strand wire that bonds to multiple layers of shotcrete (sprayed-on concrete). More than 90 miles of wire will be applied to the two tanks!

This process ensures the structures can contain the large loads produced by the stored water as well as the strength and durability to undergo horizontal and vertical ground movement during an earthquake.

For safety, the entire site will be closed during this stage of work.
Additional fencing has been installed to allow an additional 100 feet of clearance around the tanks. On the east side of the site, additional trailers will be installed to provide the necessary safety buffer.

The cables used to wrap the tanks will be under incredible tension stress and if one were to snap, the force could be very dangerous. We ask that neighbors and all members of the public stay clear of the site during this stage of work, which is expected to last around 16 weeks.

Other news and info:
  • The final roof pour is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, March 30 (weather dependent).
  • Material that is no longer needed will be moved off-site once the last roof pour is complete; expect some minor truck traffic.
  • Prior to application of wire and shotcrete, the tanks will be pressure washed.
  • Pressure washing and applying the wire and shotcrete will create additional noise at the site.
  • The pipes that will connect the new tanks to the water system will be delivered soon and will be staged on the west side of the work area.
  • The piping work in Patterson Street will occur in June, and will create access and parking constraints. More info to come as this phase of work gets closer.
Benches on the west side of the site are temporarily inside the new safety fence and inaccessible during the upcoming phase of work.
The fence on the south side has been moved farther back for safety.
The concrete roofs have been poured in quadrants. The final pour is tentatively scheduled for this week, completing the concrete phase.
View of the east tank. The tanks will soon be wrapped in wire and covered in shotcrete.
Contact us with questions
If you have questions or input, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the project team at
541-685-7899 or water.storage@eweb.org. Emails sent to this address will reach:

  • Laura Farthing, Project Manager/Senior Civil Engineer
  • Jen Connors, Communications Supervisor
  • Jeannine Parisi, Customer Relationship Manager
  • Wally McCullough, Water Engineering Supervisor