Bend plans sewer project open house

The city of Bend is holding an open house from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, August 5, in City Council Chambers to share information about an upcoming sewer system project that will upgrade and replace the undersized and deficient sewer pump station in McKay Park.

“Sharing information and listening to feedback from neighbors, businesses and other stakeholders is critical to the success of our project,” said Aaron Collett, project manager.

Along with the upgraded sewer pump station, called the Colorado pump station, the project includes new pipelines that will be buried under existing roadways. A gravity sewer line will connect to an existing pipeline located underground at NW Columbia Street and SW Commerce Avenue, and travel under Allen Road and Shevlin Hixon Drive to the Colorado pump station in McKay Park. (See attached map.) The station will pump sewage into two 12-inch pipelines that will cross the Deschutes River on the Colorado Bridge, run under Colorado Avenue and travel eastward under Arizona Avenue to Second Street.

Construction for the project is currently planned for early 2015.

“There will be disruptions in McKay Park and along the pipeline route. We are working with neighbors now to reduce those future impacts as much as possible,” said Collett.

The improved station will relieve critical sewer capacity issues on Bend’s westside. It is sized to provide capacity for businesses and residents inside the current Urban Growth Boundary.

For more information visit www.bendoregon.gov/colorado