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Rural and small cities press for wastewater and sewer upgrades across Oregon
Summary
Multiple small cities and sanitary districts testified that aging sewer systems, inflow and infiltration, and DEQ enforcement orders are constraining housing and commerce; presenters asked for grants and bond funds to complete plant upgrades and pipe replacement.
May 9 testimony included a long list of small‑city and district wastewater requests. Speakers said aging systems, maintenance backlogs and regulatory violations were impeding housing production and economic growth.
Ty Richardson, public works director for the city of Burns, described a treatment system over capacity by about 61,000,000 gallons and requested $3,000,000 for collection‑system rehabilitation and 16,000 linear feet of mainline replacement to reduce inflow and infiltration and return the system to compliance.
Other requests included Lebanon’s $20,000,000 wastewater plant upgrade, Estacada’s $58,000,000 treatment plant replacement (presenter said original estimates had risen from $26,000,000 to $58,000,000), Sandy’s $14,000,000 package tied to lifting a moratorium on development, and a range of smaller asks from Crescent Sanitary District ($2–4M), Rainier ($500,000), and other local governments. Presenters repeatedly noted that many projects are eligible for low‑interest loans but that rising construction costs and affordability constraints make grants or bond support necessary.
Speakers urged the committee to consider these projects as essential both for public health and for unlocking housing development.
