Estacada planners report wastewater plant work, water upgrades, park and trail projects; River Mill traffic circle funded

Construction has started on the city’s new wastewater treatment plant at the former Portal Park site and is expected to take about 27 months, a city staffer told the Estacada Planning Commission. The site team paused briefly after uncovering an 1800s-era bottle; staff placed a 25-foot protective barrier around the find and turned it over to the State Historic Preservation Office for review.

The update said the city will issue a request for proposals for membrane bioreactor (MBR) equipment in September or early October; staff said equipment lead times are long and the city intends to install the MBR during next year’s slow water‑use season. City engineers are also preparing an RFP for engineering to upgrade the water treatment plant. Staff said the raw water pump and pipe sizing already were upgraded to prepare for the plant work.

The report noted the city’s water rights total about 2.6 million gallons per day (MGD). Staff said that constraint — not just plant capacity — will limit how much treated water the city can produce as demand grows. Commissioners discussed options including separate irrigation piping, reusing treated effluent for irrigation, and indirect potable reuse (pumping treated effluent back into the water supply for further treatment), with staff noting each option would require additional infrastructure or regulatory approvals.

On roads, staff said the city received roughly a $790,000 grant for a traffic circle at River Mill Road and Eagle Creek; the city’s engineer, Curran McLeod, is designing the roundabout. Commissioners were told the county approved lowering the speed limit on portions of River Mill to 30 mph and that reductions should appear within weeks.

Parks updates included a planning grant application to update the parks master plan; staff said the city will learn whether it received that grant the day after the meeting and, if funded, will issue an RFP for a consultant in November. Wade Creek Park’s gravel trails are being paved to improve accessibility; paving was slated to start immediately and to finish by Nov. 15, and the contract allowed the city to add speed humps on Sweetwater, Pierce and Hill Way.

Staff asked commissioners to raise questions or bring issues back at future meetings. The packet noted planned procurement timelines (MBR RFP September/October; engineering RFP to follow) and the River Mill construction funding source as the grant awarded earlier this year.

The update concluded with a short question-and-answer period about irrigation districts, wells and potential capacity fixes; staff reiterated that a separate irrigation system would not increase the city’s water rights and that drilling new wells would require applying to the state for water rights.

Staff-provided timelines and next steps: publish MBR RFP in September/early October; begin MBR installation in late 2026 (target slow season); issue parks master‑plan RFP in November if grant award confirmed; complete Wade Creek trail paving by Nov. 15.