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TRANSCRIPT
CATEGORY: BEST LARGE ENGINEERING WORKS PROJECT
2020Lebanon Water Treatment Plant
EXCELLENCE IN ENGINEERING AWARDS
Project Description
Supporting Materials
– Photos
– Plant Process Poster
– In The News
– Client Satisfaction
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Project Description
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LEBANON WATER TREATMENT PLANT
PROJECT BACKGROUNDThe City of Lebanon, Oregon Water Treatment Plant program truly exemplifies Excellence in Engineering. The team of City leaders, City staff, Business Oregon Infrastructure Finance, Consultants, CM/GC Contractor and its Subcontractors, membrane supplier H2O Innovation, and regulatory review and approval agencies united together to provide reliable high quality drinking water for the growing community.
The challenges of financing the largest undertaking in city history, building a river intake on an extremely constrained site, and moving from contract-operation to City-operation were successfully addressed by the team. Innovation and experience of the team was applied to provide facilities that can easily and economically be expanded using an open platform membrane system, allowing the city to attract industry and promote growth to strengthen their community. Lebanon is a true demonstration of the team work it takes for Excellence in Engineering.
PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT
Beginning in 2007 with a Water System Master Plan, the City started on a path to assure they could reliably provide high quality drinking water to their community. Studies had determined the 1946 vintage water treatment plant purchased by the City from Pacific Power and Light in 1985 needed to be replaced. While the plant had been through several prior expansions and upgrades, aged structures remained that could not meet current seismic standards and lacked redundancy. There were several aged and corroded pipes and equipment.
The City investigated changing from surface water to ground water but that did not pan out; nor did constructing on the existing plant site. The City settled on a program to build a new water treatment plant. They chose a location near the City’s Cheadle Lake Park in the southeast portion of their distribution system.
As the program evolved it expanded to include a new intake on the South Santiam River and interfaced with other City projects. These projects improved access to Cheadle Lake Park by reconstructing three-quarters of a mile of roadway to the plant to add a bike path and green scape for stormwater management. The new plant also allowed the City to install a restroom facility at the Park with new water service and upgrade an overflow drain pipe. Overall the program would cost $37 million with service to a growing base of 5,500 customers.
To initiate the program, City staff worked with the Mayor and City Council so they understood the issues, costs and impacts to rate payers. Their work led to a supportive Mayor and City Council who adopted water rate increases of 10 percent in 2008, 3 percent 2009 and 2010, and 15 percent in 2011, 2012, and 2013 to bring rates up from historically low levels. While not popular, the City leaders and staff stepped up to meet the challenge required to fund the program. They also reached out to Business Oregon Infrastructure Finance and received $13 million from the Safe Drinking Water Revolving Loan Fund of which $1 million is a forgivable loan and $11 million from the Special Public Works Fund Loan.
The City received accolades from the Mayor and City Council who are proud of their accomplishments. At the ribbon cutting ceremony in 2019 the Mayor noted that
“the commencement of operations of this plant and the Santiam River Intake facility is the first time in 72 years that the City will be drawing water directly from the Santiam River instead of the Albany Canal … the City is no longer dependent on another community for our water supply.”
Aging chain and sprocket driven butterfly valve operator.
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PROJECT OWNER, ENGINEERING TEAM AND CONTRACTOR
Owner: City of Lebanon, Oregon
Engineering Team: Carollo Engineers, Inc.
Contractor: Slayden Constructors, Inc., a part of MWH Constructors.
PROJECT LOCATIONLebanon, Oregon, a city in Linn County, located in northwest Oregon, southeast of Salem.
TIMING AND SCHEDULE FOR IMPLEMENTATIONPlanning: Nov 2013-Aug 2014; Design: Sep 2014 - May 2017; Construction Jan 2017 - March 2019
TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST Total Project Cost: $36,994,380.44
Utility Extension Project: $3,315,482.53 Special Public Work Fund Loan: $2,597,526.49 City: $750,956.04
Water Treatment Plant Project: $28,327,634.91 Special Public Work Fund Loan: $8,435,473.51 Safe Drinking Water Fund Loan: $12,097,369.51
Engineering (Design & Construction): $5,351,263.00 Safe Drinking Water Fund Loan: $902,630.49 City: $4,448,632.51
Total Safe Drinking Water Funds: $13,000,000(of which $1,015,000 is forgivable loan amount)
Total Special Public Works Funds: $11,000,000
Total City Funds: $13,994,380.44
LIST OF PERSONS ON THE PROJECT TEAMCarollo Engineers, Inc.: Jude Grounds (PIC), Wayne Gresh (CSM), Jenn Minton (PM), Matt Sprick (PE), Jeremy Ruppert (I&C)
Slayden Constructors, Inc.: Vance Martin (VP Water/Wastewater), Steve Flett (VP Estimating), Neven Paulson (PM), Erik Brahmer (Estimating Manager), Jeff Wall (Business Development)
Additional Consultants on Team: Crawford & Associates, Erwin Consulting Engineering, ESA, Eurofins, Foundation Engineering, H2O Innovation, R2 Resource Consultants, Inc, Shur Architects, Team Electric Co., The Automation Group, Udell Engineering & Land Surveying, WEST Consultants, Inc.
UNUSUAL CONSTRAINTSSeveral unusual constraints and challenges were successfully addressed during the program. Reducing cost to lessen funding burdens, constructing the intake on an extremely constrained site, and transitioning to City-operations were among the challenges addressed by the team.
Reducing Cost
A conventional approach to plant and intake design yielded facilities that would place significant financial burden on the community – plant and intake costs had to be reduced. To achieve the cost reductions, the City, Carollo, and CM/GC contractor worked together using a CM/GC-led value engineering program. The ideas and concepts developed resulted in over $5.5 million dollars of cost reduction. Items that led to this savings included using prefabricated metal buildings with high-quality insulated metal wall panels to reduce cost and shorten the construction schedule, reducing increments of plant “turn-down” to reduce the number of raw water and finished water pumps, and a more compact site layout to reduce site improvement requirements.
Intake Construction
A thorough hydrologic and geomorphologic analysis was used to understand current and potential future river conditions including extreme low flows from climate change, sediment loads, and possible aggradation and degradation of riverbed. This resulted in selecting an intake location that would provide a reliable supply of raw water. However, the site was significantly constrained by an adjacent busy county road.
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Innovation and experience applied by the CM/GC Contractor, Consultant team, and City staff resulted in a way to install traffic control lights on the busy road and build a platform over the South Santiam River bank to allow construction of the intake and raw water pump station. And, using an innovative design, submersible style pumps were used to allow the intake and raw water pump station to be built as one structure adjacent to the road. This applied innovation and experience resulted in saving the cost to construct temporary roadway and a raw water pump station located hundreds of feet from the intake.
Expandable Open Platform Membrane Racks
An open membrane platform was used to allow any style of membrane to be installed on the racks. Carollo worked with H2O Innovation to test and install membranes that provided the best long-term benefit to the City. This system allows the City to competitively bid membranes in the future and be able to change to more effectual or cost-effective membranes.
The racks, plant equipment, and piping were designed to allow quick and low cost capacity expansion incrementally from 4.5 mgd to 6 mgd and 8 mgd. By
simply adding membrane cartridges to the racks the plant can produce 6 mgd. By bolting up an extension to the racks the plant can produce 8 mgd. This allows the City to market industries and promote growth without concern that a costly expansion to the plant is required.
Membrane Procurement and 3D Drafting
Other steps the team implemented to reduce cost included procuring the membrane filter system during predesign and using 3D drafting. Membrane
procurement with shop drawing submittals in predesign reduced cost and design time and allowed for more detailed constructability reviews on building, equipment, and piping layouts. The design team and CM/GC used 3D models to facilitate better equipment and piping layouts, avoidance of conflicts, and construction. The CM/GC enhanced the design 3D model adding construction sequencing
for underground pipes, concrete pours, and plant piping to facilitate their work.
Moving from Contract to City Operations
Having no water plant operators the City retained a contractor to
operate the plant when purchased in 1985. The City determined it
would be in their best interest to take over operation of the new plant and
intake. To do this Carollo assisted the City in identifying staffing and operation
and maintenance requirements. The City then provided opportunity for staff in their operations division to attend classes and become certified for plant operation. Two individuals at the City took this opportunity.
When construction was about 70 percent complete, the City hired a supervisor who brought on two operators. The supervisor and operators then worked with the SCADA integrator to set up the HMI structure and reporting forms, providing input and oversight during final construction (including layout of chemical system stations and piping, securing chemicals, securing office and laboratory supplies, and securing other miscellaneous supplies). The supervisor also initiated contact with the Contract operator and Oregon Health Authority to seamlessly transition operation of the existing plant to the new plant.
Slayden had to overcome the challenge of a deep excavation next to a busy county road
while constructing the intake to achieve the project cost savings needed.
Supporting Materials - Photos
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CLEARWELL
The water treatment plant clearwell was designed to accommodate both current and buildout water demands for the City. The clearwell and the membrane wet well were both glass lined steel tanks in order to minimize impact to the City’s budget.
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SETTLING BASIN
The settling basin receives all the rejected water from the membrane and other systems within the treatment plant. This facility was designed with significant input from Lebanon maintenance staff in order to provide both access around the outside for a vactor truck as well as inside for a front loader.
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SOUTH SANTIAM RIVER INTAKE
The new intake structure constructed along the bank of the South Santiam River was built for both the community of Lebanon and the aquatic life inhabiting the river. For the City, the intake structure represents independence from other communities for their water supply. For the fish and other aquatic life, the screen and backwash system was designed to keep them safe while still providing the City with the water it needs.
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Lebanon WTP
was constructed by S
layden Constructors, Inc, a subsidiary of M
WH
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ased out of Stayton, O
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any Pacific Northw
est municipalities, they are the prem
ier construction group that is sought after for their excellence in both construction and support services. They partnered w
ith the City to build the W
TP to the quality, price, and schedule the C
ity needed. The S
layden, City, and C
arollo team w
orked hand-in-hand throughout the construction and at the final design stages to make sure the W
TP w
as cost effective for both the residents of today and the future.
We are proud of our history of w
orking with local com
munities, like
Lebanon, to construct water facilities that m
eet the needs of its citizens, satisfy regulations, and protect the environm
ent.”— Slayden Constructors
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MEMBRANE SYSTEM
Most commercially available membrane systems are sold as proprietary units designed to fit a specific proprietary membrane module. This has historically been necessary because the commercially viable products had little in common mechanically or operationally with one another. While there are still unique products in the market, there is a trend towards mechanical and process convergence in modern module designs, particularly with the pressurized ultrafiltration membrane module technology that are used by the City of Lebanon’s new water treatment plant.
In order to get the benefits of membrane technology, owners have historically needed to buy into a proprietary platform. This approach comes with risks common to any non-standard product (non-competitive module and parts replacement pricing, availability, service, reliance on the manufacturer’s participation on the market, commercial issues associated with changes in ownership), but is magnified in a water treatment plant since water quality, quantity and cost effective operation of the system is so critical to the community’s water supply. To protect the City from risk, they opted to install an open platform membrane system. This will allow them to maintain price competitiveness far into the future.
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MEMBRANE FEED PUMPS
The membrane, finished water, and backwash pumps, as well as the rest of the facility was a tight balance between minimizing footprint and providing the space necessary for both plant staff and future expansions. Slayden, the City, and Carollo partnered together to change the design as necessary to make sure that plant staff will be satisfied for years to come.
Supporting Materials - Plant Process Poster
1 Raw Water Intake StructureThe raw water intake is a large concrete structure built into the bank of the South Santiam River. It keeps large river material out of the City’s water to protect pumps at the intake and water treatment plant. To do this, it uses a screen made with several bars 1/15th of an inch apart. After the water goes through the screen, pumps at the intake send it to the water treatment plant. The water moves slowly through the screens to protect fish in the river.
2 Raw Water Electrical BuildingEquipment used to power and control pumps in the intake structure is located in the Raw Water Electrical Building.
3 Standby GeneratorsIf power is lost during a blackout, standby generators at the intake and treatment plant turn on to power equipment.
4 Membrane Feed Pumps and TankRaw water from the intake arrives at the water treatment plant and enters a tank. There, membrane feed pumps draw water and deliver it to the membrane system with enough pressure to push it through the strainers and membranes.
5 StrainersThe strainers are circular metal screens with thousands of small holes 1/100th of an inch across. These strainers stop small objects, such as pine needles, that would otherwise pass through the intake screens and damage the membranes.
6 Membrane (Ultra) Filtration SystemH2O Innovation, a company that makes water and wastewater membranes, supplied the membrane filtration system. This system is made of modules containing hollow membrane fibers. These hollow fibers are like straws with tiny holes on their sides that allow only water molecules and other small molecules like salts and viruses to pass through. The filtered water then travels up the inside of the fiber and exits the membrane system. At this point, the water is clean, but still not safe to drink! River mud and 99.99 percent of bacteria are left on the outside of the fiber and are washed away to the settling basins through a process called backwashing.
7 Chemical AdditionThe chemicals chlorine, caustic, and fluoride are injected into the water between the membrane system and the chlorine contact (CT) basin. This is done to kill viruses and bacteria, make the water less acidic, and improve teeth health.
8 CT BasinThe CT basin is a 65-ft diameter glass-lined steel tank with internal plastic walls called baffles. These baffles form a maze for water to allow time for the chlorine to kill viruses and bacteria. At the end of the CT basin, up to 99.99 percent of viruses and up to 99.997 percent of bacteria are killed. When the water leaves the CT basin, it is finished with treatment and is ready to drink!
9 Finished Water PumpsThe finished water pumps draw the water from the CT Basin and send it into the City’s distribution system where it eventually fills two reservoirs. At this point, the City’s distribution system takes over the work and delivers the drinking water to your tap.
10 Settling BasinsThe settling basins receive any solids the strainers and the membranes have removed. In the settling basins, the water moves slowly so the solids, such as dirt, drop to the bottom. This leaves clear water at the top. The clear water then leaves the basins and either stays on site or is sent back to the South Santiam River.
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South Santiam River
Raw Water Pipeline
Distribution System
Cheadle Lake
River Road
River Road
Treated Water: These two beakers show the water from the Santiam before and after treatment!
Water Treatment PlantThe City of Lebanon’s water
treatment plant is split into
two sites: the intake site next to the South Santiam River and the treatment plant closer to town. The treatment plant is an ultrafiltration membrane plant. This means it treats water with membranes instead of large sand filters like other cities in Oregon.
Welcome to theLebanon Water Treatment Plant
AcknowledgementsThis project would not have been possible without the Lebanon City Council, City Manager, and hardworking City staff. The following outside organizations also helped with the project:
How The Project Was FundedThis project was funded mostly from water use rates. Between 2009 and 2013, these rates increased in a series of steps to raise funds for this project. Outside help came from the Oregon Infrastructure Financing Authority (IFA) in the form of low interest loans and grants from the Safe Drinking Water Revolving Loan ($13M) and Special Public Work Fund Loan ($11M). The Oregon IFA’s help will save the City almost $8M over the life of those loans.
Supporting Materials - In The News
Stayton, Ore. — Slayden Constructors, Inc., a subsidiary of MWH Constructors, Inc., was
selected as the construction manager/general contractor (GM/GC) for a $27 million project
for a new Water Treatment Plant in Lebanon, Ore. The project is scheduled to begin in May
2017, with a substantial completion date of December 2018.
The new water treatment plant will completely replace the City of Lebanon’s current facility,
which is in need of updates and replacement. The new facility will have a capacity of 4.5
million gallons per day (mgd), with the capability to be upgraded to 8 mgd, and will include
a raw water intake facility on the S. Santiam River. Other components of the project include
a raw water pumping station and a membrane water treatment plant.
Slayden completed preconstruction services on the water treatment plant, which included an
extensive value engineering process with the owner and Carollo Engineers to ensure the
project was within the city’s budget.
“We are proud of our history of working with local communities, like Lebanon, to construct
water facilities that meet the needs of its citizens, satisfy regulations and protect the
environment,” said Jeff Tedder, senior project manager for Slayden. “The preconstruction
process of working collaboratively with the city and Carollo to develop the final project has
really streamlined the lead-up to construction. We look forward to continuing to build on the
relationships developed through the project to collaboratively deliver this important
infrastructure project to the community of Lebanon.”
“We believe that Slayden will lead an exemplary team to ensure constructability of these
facilities in a timely matter,” said Ron Whitlatch, engineering services director for the City of
Lebanon. “Furthermore, we look forward to working with Slayden to ensure the project
meets both the city’s needs and budget, as well as creates positive relationships within our
community.”
Slayden Constructors awarded contract for new water treatment plantMay 9, 2017
https://democratherald.com/news/local/lebanon-water-treatment-plant-on-schedule/article_f903cb08-e71d-577b-8cef-ea47d55fcc70.html
TOP STORY
Lebanon water treatment plant on schedule
JENNIFER MOODY Albany Democrat-Herald Sep 4, 2018
L EBANON — Lebanon's new water treatment plant is on schedule to
finish in November, although city officials say drivers should have full
use of River Drive before that.
Lebanon's new water treatment plant is taking shape on River Drive next to Cheadle Lake.
Jennifer Moody, Albany Democrat-Herald
Lebanon water treatment plant on schedule
The road, which leads to the new plant, was to have reopened in late August.
However, utility crews needed more time to move poles, Whitlatch said. That
delayed city work in finishing the street paving and sidewalks.
The new water treatment plant itself, being constructed next to Cheadle Lake
at 2500 River Drive, will be going through its final testing phases in
November, Whitlatch said. A grand opening is to be scheduled later this fall.
The construction cost for the plant, river intake and under-drain work for the
Santiam Canal is about $27.8 million, Whitlatch said. Work began in spring
2017.
When complete, the plant will have its own intake on the Santiam River and
will be able to produce 4.5 million gallons of treated water per day. That can
be expanded to 6 to 8 million gallons per day with a few filter changeouts, he
said. "It's all sized for that."
The city's existing plant on Second Street is rated for about 3.8 million gallons
and doesn't really have room for expansion, Whitlatch said. It also has no
backup systems, so any time repairs need to be made, the plant needs to be
taken offline.
Mountain River Drive, should reopen on or about Sept. 14.
No plans are in the works yet for the old water treatment plant, Whitlatch
said. It will continue to run through the new plant's testing period, as a safety
measure, but whether it's mothballed, torn down or sold after that will be up
to the Lebanon City Council. No plans have been proposed.
The existing plant uses filter beds and an accelerator with a pretreatment
system. The new plant will use microfiltration, an updated technology that has
a better shot at removing toxins.
The system isn't set up at this point to eliminate the toxic algae that plagued
the water system that serves Salem, but that can be added if necessary,
Whitlatch said. It costs much more up front, and Lebanon has never detected
any toxic algae, so the system doesn't currently have that treatment system in
place.
Water rates, low-interest loans through the state and systems development
charges have paid for the new plant, Whitlatch said. He said it's expected to
last for 75 to 100 years, unless Lebanon undergoes a giant increase in
population.
City officials started working on the new plant about a decade ago, revising the
city's master plan, adjusting water rates and beginning the planning process.
"Yeah, it’s been a long process, but it's been a good process," Whitatch said.
"It's going to be good for our community, and we’ll be set for the future."
NEW CITY WATER TREATMENT PLANT OPENS WITH CEREMONYBy Sarah Brown - March 19, 2019
Following more than eight years of planning and almost two years of construction, the City of Lebanon’s new water treatment plant
located at 2500 River Road is expected to begin serving residents by the end of March.
City officials took the wraps off the new $28 million water treatment plant with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday, March 14.
Engineering Services Director Rob Whitlatch briefed Mayor Paul Aziz and city councilors on the status of the project at the city council’s
March 13 meeting.
The new plant has the capacity to produce 4.5 million gallons of water per day, with the ability to expand production to as much as
eight mg/d. It’s enough production to serve Lebanon for as many as 100 years, unless the city has any unforeseen exponential growth,
Whitlatch said.
The new plant replaces the water treatment facility located at A and Second streets, which was built in 1946. Last year it produced 823
million gallons of water, with its peak day at 3.53 million gallons, Whitlatch said. It serves 5,774 Lebanon water customers, and pretty
much maxes out at about 4 million gallons per day.
Whitlatch said plant operators have been testing the new system. The water generated during testing is discharged into Cheadle Lake.
Sometime in the next few weeks the city plans to start sending treated water to households and businesses.
“We’re really close to sending water to the system. We’re working out a few minor bugs,” he said.
Photo by Sarah Brown MAYOR PAUL AZIZ cuts a ribbon to open the new water plant.
Revenue stream... photos by Sarah Brown 1 of 8
Once the facility is operational the city plans to close the aging Second Street water treatment plant. Whitlatch assured council
members that generating clean water from the old plant remains an alternative should any unexpected problems occur with the new
facility.
“If we had an emergency, it would take us 24 hours to start that old plant up and get going again,” he said.
Whitlatch said the city plans to decommission the old plant in the next fiscal year. The city has not yet decided what to do with the
facility once it is no longer operational.
Construction of the new plant began in early 2017. Lebanon selected Stayton-based Slayden Constructors Inc, as the contract
manager/general contractor for the project. In addition to the treatment plant, crews also constructed a new water intake on the South
Santiam River, built a new raw water pump station and laid additional water and storm water lines.
The 1946 plant uses filter beds in large concrete holding tanks, but the new plant will use a microfiltration process through pipes,
which uses a smaller footprint and less chemical cost, Whitlatch said.
“We’re using membranes rather than your conventional sand filter clarifier like we’re using right now,” he said.
The overall cost associated with the plant totals approximately $36.8 million, and is paid for by two loans through the state and money
saved by the City through water system development charges and water rate increases.
The new plant solves two problems the City of Lebanon has had since the late 1980s: the need to accommodate population growth,
and the need to break away from financial obligations to the City of Albany.
History of the canal
The Elkins Flour Mill in Lebanon was built on a millrace in 1871 tapping the South Santiam River north of Lebanon and flowing back to
the river downstream. The millrace was built by the Elkins family to provide power.
That same year, the Albany & Santiam Water Ditch or Canal Co. formed to contruct a 12-mile commercial waterway from the mill to
Albany, which was completed in 1873 and was used for hydropower in Lebanon and Albany.
In 1892, a six-mile canal was completed for the Lebanon and Santiam Canal Company, tapping the South Santiam River southeast of
Lebanon and meandering north through town to connect with the headwaters of the canal at Elkins millrace.
Lebanon followed that project with the production of an hydroelectric plant and water pumping station at Main and A streets. In 1920
a larger powerhouse and pumping station was built to meet the demand for more electricity, and in 1946 a brick water processing
plant was built to meet population growth, which at that time was about 4,000 people. This is the same water treatment plant the City
of Lebanon has been using up to today.
Mountain States Power Company purchased interest in the Albany Canal in 1918, and later purchased interest in the Lebanon Canal in
1923. With both canals under single ownership, the two canals were considered as a single canal. In 1954, Pacific Power and Light
Company assumed control of Mountain States Power Company, gaining ownership of “the canal and associated power and water
processing structures.”
In 1984, the City of Albany gained ownership of “the canal and its associated hydroelectric facilities,” but the City of Lebanon gained
control of its own power and water facilities. An agreement was contracted between the two cities regarding operation of the Albany-
Santiam Canal, which was the source of municipal water for both cities.
A revised agreement in 1986 states that Albany would be responsible for the delivery of raw water supply to the City of Lebanon, and
Lebanon would share in the net cost of operation, maintenance and improvement of the canal by 33 percent.
During the 1990s, Albany focused on regaining lost control of its hydroelectric plant, which relied on the canal. Meanwhile, Albany
upgraded the diversion dam at the southeast intake of the South Santiam River in Lebanon, which later became part of a financial
dispute between the two cities.
Dispute over Canal
There was some disagreement about how much Lebanon owed Albany, Whitlatch summarized. He said he can understand both cities’
points of view.
By 2014, the City of Lebanon was trying to address the need for a new water intake off the canal. They also were behind in their
payments to the City of Albany. In addition to the fees Lebanon was responsible for, Albany claimed Lebanon also owed them $3.8
million for the dam improvements.
After some back and forth, the two cities were able to iron out their disagreements, but by then Lebanon decided it was time to
separate itself from Albany and build its own intake site off the river.
Whitlatch wouldn’t call the results of their negotiation “a good deal,” but Albany probably wouldn’t think of it as a good deal either, he
noted.
“We came out of it with a negotiation where we’re both happy and we work together today,” he said.
The two cities still need to address problems with storm drainage into the canal, he said. Both cities plan on developing a drainage
master plan refinement, and look for ways to take storm water out of the canal and create a different drainage system.
In 2015, the Lebanon City Council approved the plan to build a new intake site at 37920 River Road and the new water treatment plant
near Cheadle Lake that would make them independent of Albany’s control.
“We’re no longer relying on Albany to maintain and provide the water from the canal. This is our last year of payment to them for our
water on the canal,” Whitlatch said.
During the ribbon cutting ceremony, Aziz took a moment to make note of what this means for Lebanon.
“The commencement of operations of this plant and the Santiam River intake facility is the first time in at least 72 years that the city
will be drawing water directly from the Santiam River instead of the Albany canal,” Aziz said. “This means the City is no longer
dependent on another community for our water supply.”
Building a New Plant
“Clearly the Second Street plant has served the community well,” Aziz said. “But the needs of today’s Lebanon, with a population of
nearly 17,000, are vastly different than when the (first) plant was built.”
The council rejected initial bids on the project, which ranged from $30 to $34 million. The original Slayden bid totaled about $29
million. Lebanon and Slayden cut the original project cost to $26,353 by cutting out extra features.
“What it really boiled down to is anything that didn’t make water got cut,” Whitlatch said at the council meeting.
Lebanon financed construction of the water treatment plant through a combination of cash on hand and 25 and 30-year government
loans. Whitlatch estimated annual debt service on the project at $1.2 million.
According to figures provided by the city, Lebanon’s water utility services are on track to generate about $5 million in revenue this year.
Whitlatch said the city needs an additional $7 to $9 million in water line replacements and upgrades in the next decade.
Water Rates Rise
In 2008, water rates in Lebanon increased 10 percent for the 2008/09 fiscal year. It was the first water rate increase since 2001.
Rates continued to jump the following four years: a series of 3 percent and 3 percent again for FY 09/10, 15 percent for FY 10/11, 15
percent for FY 11/12, and 15 percent for FY 12/13, followed by a moratorium for FY 13/14.
Rate increases became softer after that: 4 percent for FY 14/15, 2.8 percent for FY 15/16, 3.1 percent for FY 16/17, 4 percent for FY
17/18, and 2.7 percent for FY 18/19.
The more recent rate increases have allowed the City to set aside capital for the construction of the new plant, Whitlatch said. Although
he doesn’t anticipate any large rate increases in the future, the City looks at inflation and costs and makes recommendations to the
council annually.
Of 20 cities studied recently, Lebanon is number four.
“Yes, our rates are high. There’s no doubt,” Whitlatch said.
He noted that, unlike Lebanon, many other communities have an existing water plant that fits their needs, but a time will come when
they face the same problem Lebanon did.
“Other communities will catch up,” he said. “It might be 20 years before community ‘x’ has to do theirs, but when they do, rest assured,
their rates are going to be climbing through the roof just like ours were. It’s all in where you are on the need for that capital expansion,
and we just happen to be there.”
To reduce the cost for Lebanon’s new plant, they kept staff numbers low and cut the building size.
“We’ve crammed, you know the expression, 10 pounds of crap into a five pound sack, and it’s tight, but we gotta be able to do the right
thing,” he said.
“I have less staff now than when I started (in the mid-90s). That’s good and bad. It’s good in the fact that we’ve tried to keep our costs
as low as we can possibly do it and still do a job.”
During the ribbon cutting, Aziz thanked all those involved in tackling and successfully completing “the single largest capital project ever
undertaken by the City of Lebanon.”
“Water security and independence is vital to any community, and today we celebrate our community’s new-found access to the river,”
he said.
Because Homeland Security considers water treatment plants critical infrastructure, public access to the new facility is tightly
controlled.
Whitlatch said he hopes to conduct group tours soon. He is also open to individual tours on request.
“If I have someone who calls me up and says, ‘I want a tour,’ we’ll set it up,” he said.
– Correspondent Larry Coonrod contributed to this story.
Supporting Materials - Client Satisfaction
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Lebanon WTP - Excellence in Lebanon
From: Chris Germond Sent: Thursday, January 16, 2020 9:42 AM To: Matt Sprick Cc: Tyson Keene; Dwaine Ernst Subject: RE: Lebanon WTP - Excellence in Lebanon
I believe the water plant symbolizes that Lebanon is a growing community. The community sensed that the city was growing and needed to update infrastructure to handle what the future might bring. This is the largest project that the City of Lebanon has ever faced and was able to complete it. It also shows that the City cares about the quality of water that we produce and that they will make the needed changes to get there. The old plant was at such disrepair the community didn’t want to risk the health of its citizens.
Membranes are a great choice for a treatment technique as they are resilient and produce great water quality. Lebanon’s citizens should be proud that plant was built to have any membrane of that style fit to it. That allows the plant if the future to be competitive and be able to change to better or more cost effective membranes in the future. A lot of membrane plants are stuck with the original membrane manufacturer and that leaves those plants to the mercy of the membrane manufacturers.
Thanks,
Chris Germond Water Treatment Plant Supervisor Tel: 541.258.4274 | Fax: 541.258.4903 2500 River Road, Lebanon, OR 97355
www.ci.lebanon.or.us