Lake Oswego Water Treatment Plant

Facility Description

The City of Lake Oswego has operated a drinking water treatment plant in West Linn’s Robinwood neighborhood since 1968. The Lake Oswego Tigard Water Partnership plans to upgrade and expand the treatment plant, located between Kenthorpe Way and Mapleton Drive, to meet current and future drinking water needs. The upgraded plant will supply Lake Oswego and Tigard, and will continue to serve as West Linn’s sole source of emergency and backup water supply.

History of the Water Treatment Plant

Built in 1968, Lake Oswego’s water treatment plant was originally located in unincorporated Clackamas County. The area was later annexed by West Linn. Through its 44-year history the plant has earned a reputation as a good neighbor. The City of West Linn has approved land use applications for upgrades and expansions three times since the plant was built.

It is not uncommon for wastewater and water treatment plants to be located in residential areas. South Fork Water Board’s treatment plant – jointly owned by West Linn and Oregon City – is located in Oregon City’s Park Place neighborhood. Extensive upgrading, expansion and treatment modifications have occurred there over the past several years to serve the two communities.

Robinwood Neighborhood Updates

What's New?

Lake Oswego Provides West Linn Emergency Water Saturday, December 31, 2011

On Thursday, Lake Oswego and West Linn placed in operation an intertie that lets Lake Oswego send drinking water to West Linn in an emergency. The South Fork Water Board, the water supply agency for West Linn and Oregon City, was forced to shut down its Oregon City drinking water plant on Thursday, to investigate damage to its water intake facility on the Clackamas River.

The South Fork Water Board plant shutdown activated a regional emergency water supply system created to ensure residents and businesses continue to receive safe drinking water during these types of incidents. An intergovernmental agreement on an emergency water system intertie has been in place between the two cities and the South Fork Water Board since 1984. The intertie pipeline and pumps are located near Lake Oswego’s water treatment plant in West Linn’s Robinwood neighborhood.

Recent heavy rains have raised river levels with an associated high volume of debris. River conditions are making it hard to assess the damage and begin repairs. The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Warning for the Clackamas River near Estacada.

To learn more please visit this site:
http://www.ci.oswego.or.us/pubaffairs/press.htm

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Miniature Water Plant Tests New Treatment Method

Before any dirt is moved or concrete poured, the Lake Oswego Tigard Water Partnership will know just how well the new drinking water treatment process is going to perform.  Building and operating a miniature version of the water treatment plant to test the new process is a bit like taking a new car for a test drive before buying.  By “test driving,” the two communities will know how the new process ‘handles’ Clackamas River water to deliver great tasting, clean water to your tap. 

The new treatment process was recommended by a panel of experts in drinking water treatment and public health.  An eight-member Citizen Sounding Board from both communities confirmed that conventional treatment plus ozone would best serve Lake Oswego and Tigard.    

The mini plant, also called a “pilot plant”, will be tested under different seasonal conditions.  Testing will provide important information about how to design, adapt and operate the new plant given the high quality drinking water source – the Clackamas River.  Test results will confirm the upgraded treatment method can satisfy State Drinking Water regulations.  Another key benefit of the small scale plant is to train operators on the best way to get the most out the new treatment method. 

The video below contains more information about the miniature water treatment plant

The pilot plant will operate like a regular plant, but at a much smaller scale – typically producing about 12,000 gallons per day, rather than the 32 million gallons per day that the new plant will produce on hot summer days.

Raw water from the Clackamas River will run through several processes in the pilot plant (shown below)..

High rate clarification is a process that helps remove sediment and algae prior to filtration. This compact treatment system will allow wider buffers between the plant and its residential neighbors.

Ozone is a disinfectant that also reduces other impurities in water including pathogens, algal toxins, disinfection by-products, pharmaceuticals and personal care products. It also proactively removes undesirable taste and odor causing compounds.

Filtration physically removes remaining particles and impurities. Different types of filters will be tested

Water produced by the pilot plant will be analyzed at the water treatment plant laboratory and in independent, State-certified labs. Testing will include: safe drinking water parameters; taste and odor; and effectiveness in removing emerging (unregulated) contaminants – pesticides, herbicides, pharmaceuticals, personal care products and others.

The pilot testing will begin in August 2011 and continue through winter 2012. Samples will be collected for two-week periods in the summer, fall and winter to ensure the treatment process works through all seasons as water temperatures and organic content fluctuate.

Test results will be used to develop design standards, calculate operating costs and satisfy state health department requirements. A pilot study report will be available in Spring 2012.

Water Treatment Plant – Good Neighbor Plan

Lake Oswego Tigard Water Partnership began discussions with the Robinwood Neighborhood Association in early 2010, sharing details of the water treatment plant expansion, listening to suggestions, and finding ways for the upgraded water plant to continue to be a good neighbor. Two years later, the Partnership has met with Robinwood neighbors more than 20 times, developing a Good Neighbor Plan (pdf, 303 kb) that contains the Partnership’s commitments for design–construction–operations of the new facility. Neighborhood input played a big role in design concepts with the addition of numerous plant layout changes and amenities requested by neighbors.

Business Case Evaluation Executive Summary

Click here to read the Executive Summary.

How to Get Involved

  • Click here for upcoming meeting dates.
  • Sign up to receive email notices.  Mark the ‘Water Treatment Plant' as your interest.
  • Click here to contact us by email.
  • Call the Water Hotline (503) 697-6502.


Look Ahead: 

You can find regular updates on the Work Underway page.