Port Orford is moving forward with plans to address major problems in its aging water system, as city officials race to overhaul the system before more of it fails.
Port Orford’s water treatment plant dates to the late 1970s. Officials say some equipment is obsolete, old distribution lines are leaking and the plant’s filtration system is no longer working as designed.
Public Works Superintendent John Isadore said the malfunctioning filtration system requires excessive backwashing and costs the city more than $60,000 a year in wasted water, electricity, chemicals and overtime. Backwashing is a cleaning process that forces clean, filtered water back through the filter, flushing out trapped debris and impurities.
“The plant’s running itself to death,” Isadore told the city council during a special meeting Wednesday.
City officials estimate the filtration problems require about 3.3 million gallons of additional treated water each year for backwashing alone. During periods of high turbidity in the winter, crews sometimes have to run the plant around the clock.
The city is currently studying whether major parts of the treatment plant should be repaired or replaced. Isadore said an engineer working on the feasibility study has raised the possibility that building a new plant could be more economical than rehabilitating the existing one.
Councilors voted unanimously Wednesday to pursue state funding for a multimillion-dollar overhaul of the system.
The city plans to apply through Oregon’s Safe Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. A preliminary funding scenario discussed by councilors was about $6.7 million, with up to $1.5 million eligible for loan forgiveness. The remainder could be financed at 1% interest over 30 years. The final project cost has not been determined.
But the city would still have to come up with a way to repay its share.
Councilors discussed two main options: raising water rates or asking voters to approve a property-tax levy. A rate increase could be approved by the council, while a property-tax levy would require a public vote.
Councilor Brett Webb raised concerns about increasing costs for community members who may already be struggling to keep up with rising prices.
“We want to give them water,” Webb said, "but we can’t take their food away so they have water.
The council has not approved a rate increase, tax levy or specific borrowing amount.
Wednesday’s vote instead authorized the city to move ahead with the application process while officials gather more detailed engineering and financial information. The city can still withdraw if it cannot assemble a viable project and repayment plan.
