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Newberg staff: begin wastewater plant expansion this biennium to avoid permit moratorium; recommends mix of fixes, 'top hats' and cash funding
Summary
On Jan. 13, Newberg staff told the Rate Review Committee they must start a wastewater plant expansion this biennium after state and independent capacity studies; stress testing raised capacity to 8.5 MG/day, potentially avoiding an extra clarifier and saving $6–7 million, and staff offered options including 'top hat' lateral liners, a $2 million pipeline route, and a 50¢ monthly surcharge option to accelerate repairs.
City of Newberg staff presented a revised wastewater capital-improvement program at the Rate Review Committee meeting on Jan. 13, 2026, and recommended beginning a plant expansion within the current biennium to avoid a state-imposed construction moratorium.
Staff said Oregon State notified the city that winter flows may already be reaching capacity at the wastewater treatment plant. An independent capacity study by CAELR aligned with the state’s analysis, prompting staff to warn that the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) could deny future lift‑station permits if the city exceeds winter flow capacity; such a denial could halt new building permits citywide. To avoid that risk, staff recommended starting the expansion now rather than waiting several years.
Staff described a recent stress test of the plant’s secondary clarifier that showed the clarifier could operate at about 8.5 million…
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