Depoe Bay explores facility plan, funding as Gleneden Beach pursues new outfall

Depoe Bay councilors and DEQ staff reviewed the status of wastewater service after Gleneden Beach gave notice that it intends to discontinue service to Depoe Bay and pursue its own treatment options, possibly including an ocean outfall.

DEQ regional liaison Anna Cammarata and wastewater permitting manager Renee Amora told the council that Gleneden has completed an initial facility plan and moved away from a site in a state park after parks officials rejected that option; the town is now evaluating a site near the airport and the possibility of an ocean outfall. Cammarata said the rough capital estimate for a new plant and outfall is “somewhere between $35,000,000 and $40,000,000.”

Why it matters: a new outfall or a new treatment plant would require multi‑agency permits, large capital raises and years of design and construction work. DEQ officials said a more detailed facility plan and engineering design are the normal next steps for both Gleneden and Depoe Bay and that those plans are often required by funding agencies before low‑cost loans or grants are approved.

DEQ timeline, funding and permits

DEQ staff told the council that an ocean outfall requires federal and state permits—often coordinated among U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, State Parks, State Lands and DEQ—and that ecosystem studies and permitting alone typically take one to two years. Cammarata said full design…