Sandy Clean Waters

scwp

No one wants to deal with wastewater until you can’t ignore the stink.

The City of Sandy is moving forward with a comprehensive approach for how we handle our wastewater. Interim fixes have put off this decision, but further delay is not an option under a federal consent decree, especially with the escalating impact of our system’s problems on local residents and businesses.

The approach will come with a substantial cost to ratepayers. But the cost of inaction would be more, as the City would accrue additional fines and the cost of construction is rising rapidly. The City is committed to explaining how we arrived at this responsible approach and is also looking for ways to reduce the costs to ratepayers.

 

HOW WE GOT HERE

In the 1970s, to protect clean water, the state capped how much wastewater can be discharged into the Clackamas River basin in order to preserve water quality. This means even though our community makes up a tiny portion of those that live in that basin, we have strict limits on how much treated wastewater we can put in it. Since then, as we have grown, the City has used a number of strategies to handle our increased wastewater. That includes upgrades to our wastewater treatment plant and an innovative partnership to provide recycled water to a local nursery. But these are limited solutions and about a decade ago the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Oregon Department of Environmental Quality began finding the City out of compliance with the federal Clean Water Act. Under the federal Consent Decree, we are required to implement a permanent solution and are limited in issuing new land use permits for housing and businesses until we do.

 

​WHAT OPTIONS WERE CONSIDERED?

After extended review with all choices on the table, the City settled on two viable options:

  • a major renovation of our wastewater plant and adding a new pipeline to discharge treated water into the Sandy River, or
  • build a pipeline to pump wastewater to the City of Gresham for treatment.

The cost of both options was similar, but the City concluded a partnership with Gresham was the better solution. That is because:

  • It is the best way to ensure we remain in legal compliance in the future, avoiding fines that will increase costs for ratepayers.
  • It gets Sandy out of the treatment business, as we will no longer have to maintain and operate the system, and lets us share the cost of wastewater infrastructure with other communities across the region including Fairview and Wood Village that also are served by Gresham.
  • It will eliminate the risk of restrictions that would prevent residents and businesses from obtaining new land use permits.
  • Gresham’s proximity to other waterways ensures it will be able discharge treated wastewater even as our region grows.

The City is currently completing engineering studies on the capacity of Gresham’s system, with the goal of having an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) in place by the end of 2025.

​

WHAT WILL IT COST?

If the City is not able to secure outside funding, ratepayers will see significant increases on their bills. These increases could be 10-14% a year for the next eight years. The overall cost of these projects is over $200 million.  We are working now to secure additional assistance from the state that will help us substantially reduce the cost to future ratepayers. In addition, the city will use fees (SDCs) to ensure new developments pay for themselves. We recognize that this will be hard for the community, particularly given other recent increases. Unfortunately, this is the only way to effectively address this challenge in the long term and provide a pathway to rate increase relief once we have made the transition.

​

WHAT'S NEXT?

Building out the needed infrastructure and transitioning wastewater treatment to Gresham will take several years. We will also continue to make improvements to our wastewater collection system during that time. The City is working to lessen the impact on ratepayers by securing state and federal funding, as well as negotiating favorable connection fees with the City of Gresham. We are also working to educate the community about how to preserve our wastewater system and reduce the impact of what we all pour down the drain. During this time, the City is committed to having an open and transparent conversation with the community about why this is the path we’ve chosen and our progress along the way.

 

​STAY UP TO DATE WITH SANDY CLEAN WATERS

The City will be providing regular updates to residents on the progress of this work. To stay up to date on the latest news and project milestones, sign up for project updates here. You can also provide comments or questions here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are you proposing switching wastewater services to the City of Gresham?

We need a comprehensive approach to meet our wastewater needs, both now and in the future. We are under a federal consent decree that requires us to implement a comprehensive solution, and to maintain a moratorium on new land use permits until we’ve done so. After an extensive and deliberative review of all options, we have concluded this is the best long-term solution for the City.

Category: Sandy Clean Waters
What other options did the City consider before making this decision?

Options considered including doing nothing, upgrading the existing wastewater treatment plant, increasing irrigation of local nurseries, letting treated wastewater soak into the ground, temporarily storing untreated or treated wastewater, relocating discharge to Deep Creek, sending wastewater for treatment to another Clackamas County treatment plant, relocating discharge to the Sandy River, and sending wastewater for treatment to Gresham. The two strongest options were relocating to the Sandy River or sending wastewater to Gresham, and ultimately sending it to Gresham was the best option. See a breakdown of the options considered here.

The remaining steps are: City Council adopting the Facilities Plan Amendment, a final engineering evaluation, and completing an intergovernmental agreement with the City of Gresham to formalize our partnership. These steps are on target to be completed by the end of 2025.

Category: Sandy Clean Waters
Why has the City not addressed this issue before now?

The City has taken a number of interim steps over the years, but this city council was willing to take on the task of finding a long-term solution. They recognize it is important to the future of Sandy to not kick this can further down the road.

Category: Sandy Clean Waters
What will be the cost to ratepayers to update our wastewater systems?

We project that ratepayers will see significant increases on their wastewater charges, likely 10-14% per year for the next eight years. The overall cost of these projects is over $200 million. We are working now to secure additional assistance from the state to help us substantially reduce that cost to ratepayers. We recognize that this will be hard for the community, particularly given other recent increases. Unfortunately, this is the only way to effectively address this challenge in the long term and provide a pathway to lower rate increases once we have made the transition. The City does offer an assistance program for low-income residents who cannot afford their bills.

Category: Sandy Clean Waters
Is the City trying to secure other funds to reduce the cost to ratepayers?

Yes. We have secured a state grant from the legislature and are working to have additional funds appropriated by the state. We’ve also been able to secure low-interest loans from the state and federal government, and continue to look for additional ways to lower the cost to ratepayers.

Category: Sandy Clean Waters
Why are wastewater issues preventing the issue of new land use permits for development?

We are running up against the limit of how much treated wastewater the City can discharge, which is why the City is moving forward with this comprehensive approach. These discharge limits are determined by the Three Basin Rule. If we exceed that limit, we will be fined by the federal and state governments.  Under the federal Consent Decree, we are required to implement a permanent solution and are limited in issuing new land use permits for housing and businesses until we do. Read about the current development moratorium here.

Category: Sandy Clean Waters
What is the Three Basin Rule and how does it impact wastewater treatment?

Sandy is subject to more wastewater regulations than almost any other City in Oregon. The Three Basin Rule - a state drinking water regulation originally adopted in the 1970s and last amended in the 1990s - permanently caps the volume of effluent that can be discharged in the Clackamas, Santiam, and McKenzie river basins. Compliance with the Three Basin Rule raises the cost of our required capital improvements at least $60 million; a cost that shouldn’t be borne by a town of 13,000 residents for the benefit of over 300,000 downstream water customers. We continue to explore whether that rule can be amended, but the comprehensive approach being adopted by the city will mean sending our wastewater to Gresham so that it is no longer subject to the Three Basin Rule.

Category: Sandy Clean Waters
What other improvements are being made to our wastewater systems?

A big part of our work has been focused on reducing the amount of stormwater that ends up in our sewer system and then needs to be treated. As sewer pipes get older, they weaken, which allows rainwater and groundwater into the sewers that mix with wastewater. In wet weather our aging pipes get filled with groundwater and stormwater, resulting in flows that can overwhelm our treatment plant. Improving our sewer is helping reduce the wastewater load, particularly during the rainy season. We are also upgrading our existing wastewater plant to make sure it stays in compliance with state and federal regulations.

Category: Sandy Clean Waters
How much is this decision being driven by the growth of the city?

More people and businesses mean more wastewater, but the amount of treated wastewater we can discharge has been set since the 1990s by the Three Basin Rule. That limits the amount that can be discharged into the Clackamas, Santiam, and McKenzie river basins. So even though our population makes up a tiny fraction of the people that live in those basins, we are limited by how much treated wastewater we can discharge into them. Even if the City remains the same size, existing property owners would retain the right to add, develop, and expand their properties.

Category: Sandy Clean Waters
Who will make the final decision on this approach? Will the voters get a chance to decide?

The final decision will be made by the city council and mayor elected by the people of Sandy. The voters are not being asked to raise taxes to pay for a bond or levy, so there will not be a separate measure to be approved on the ballot.

Category: Sandy Clean Waters
  • Printer-friendly version