Clean Water Services
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Clean Water Services | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Type | Public utility |
| Genre | Wastewater treatment |
| Founded | 1970 |
| Headquarters | Hillsboro, Oregon, United States |
| Area served | Washington County |
| Website | cleanwaterservices.org |
Clean Water Services is the water resource management utility for nearly 500,000 people in urban Washington County, Oregon and small portions of Multnomah County, Oregon, Clackamas County, Oregon, in the United States. Clean Water Services operates four wastewater treatment facilities, constructs and maintains flood management and water quality projects, and manages flow in the Tualatin River to improve water quality and protect fish habitat.[1] They are headquartered in Hillsboro.[2]
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[edit] History
In 1969, Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality placed a temporary halt to new construction in Washington County.[3] In 1970, ten cities and sixteen sanitary districts combined to form the Unified Sewerage Agency.[3] In July 2001, the United Sewerage Agency renamed itself as Clean Water Service at a cost of $60,000.[4] In 2004, the agency began a program to add shade along the watersheds streams and river by planting trees and shrubs to lower temperatures of the waterways.[5] This program received approval from environmental regulators and was in lieu of spending $150 million to build chilling systems at the four treatment facilities.[5]
[edit] Services
Clean Water Services provides storm water and wastewater services in partnership with 12 member cities that include; Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin, Hillsboro, King City, Forest Grove, Sherwood, Cornelius, Banks, Gaston, Durham, and North Plains.
As a wastewater utility, Clean Water Services cleans more than 64 million gallons of wastewater a day to among the highest standards in the nation before returning the water to the Tualatin River.[6] As a surface water management utility, activities include maintaining storm drain pipelines, flood control, fish habitat, ditches, sweeping streets, and the construction of water quality facilities.[6] Ten percent of the wastewater treated by Clean Water Services is used for irrigation and in area wetlands during the summer months.[7] Biosolids recovered through the treatment process are sold to farmers in the region as fertilizer.[2] Additionally, one treatment plant reclaims phosphorus that is sold as well.[8]
Clean Water Services is a special service district that serves as a separately managed and financed public utility. The Washington County Commissioners serve as the board of directors for Clean Water Services.[3]
Clean Water Services’ four facilities are located along the Tualatin River. Two of the plants and its headquarters are in Hillsboro, with another in Forest Grove.[3] The Durham Wastewater Treatment Facility in the Tualatin/Tigard area.[3] That treatment plant sits on 114 acres (0.46 km²) at the lowest point in the county and served around 210,000 customers in 2002.[3] Opened in 1976, it treats approximately 18 million gallons of water per day with the treated water then used for local irrigation, with the remainder dumped into the Tualatin River.[3]
[edit] Tualatin River
The 80-mile-long Tualatin River meanders slowly through relatively flat terrain, draining more than 700 square miles (1,800 km²) of forested, agricultural and urban areas before joining the Willamette River.[9] The Tualatin is Washington County's only river, and it is used for the regional drinking water supply, agricultural irrigation, and recreational activities. Clean Water Services has worked to protect the health of the watershed through programs such as the planting of trees and shrubs along the water corridors.[9]
[edit] Water supply
As communities in the Tualatin Basin continue to grow, more water will be needed for municipal and industrial uses.[10] In addition, more water is needed to augment flow in the Tualatin River and its tributaries for water quality.[11] The two water supply options being considered assume aggressive conservation targets for homes and businesses, wastewater reuse, and aquifer storage and recovery.
- A 40-foot (12 m) dam raise at Henry Hagg Lake with a raw water pipeline pumpback.
- A multiple source option that includes a 25-foot (7.6 m) dam raise at Hagg Lake with a raw water pipeline pumpback and expansion of the Willamette River Water Treatment Plant for municipal uses.
[edit] References
- ^ Haight, Abby. Stream to get healthy helping of native plants. The Oregonian, November 29, 2007.
- ^ a b Much, Justin. Farmers and neighbors debate use of biosolids. Statesman Journal, November 7, 2007.
- ^ a b c d e f g Tsao, Emily. Skate park search uncovers plans for sewage ponds. The Oregonian, October 24, 2007.
- ^ Highlights, lowlights and other dubious achievements of the year 2001. The Oregonian, December 27, 2001.
- ^ a b Arrandale, Tom. Trading for clean water. Governing Magazine, April 2004. Pg. 32.
- ^ a b Griffin, Jeff. Overcoming pipebursting challenges--on time, under budget; Rehabilitation TECHNOLOGY. Underground Construction, February 1, 2007. Pg. 49(2) Vol. 62 No. 2 ISSN: 1092-8634.
- ^ Mayes, Steve. Two-pipe system with fresh, recycled water taps into future. The Oregonian, August 29, 2005.
- ^ Smith, Kennedy. Tigard treatment plant turns waste into fertilizer. Daily Journal of Commerce, June 1, 2007.
- ^ a b Gorman, Kathleen. Tualatin River treated with tradeoff. The Oregonian, October 12, 2007.
- ^ a b Gorman, Kathy. Washington County: Water partners wonder how to increase supply. The Oregonian, June 7, 2007.
- ^ Colby, Richard. Hagg Lake water helps river run. The Oregonian, July 1, 2004.
- ^ Carr, Housley. Population Growth Drives Rising Tide Of Water and Wastewater Projects; Utility owners look to alternative supply methods in some regions. Engineering News-Record, November 27, 2006. SourceBook: Water/Wastewater; Pg. 44 Vol. 257 No. 21.
[edit] External links
- Clean Water Services is at coordinates Coordinates:
