The South Fork Water Board votes to approve installation
of a new 42-inch finished water transmission line

The South Fork Water Board (SFWB) voted to approve the installation of a new 42-inch transmission line that will deliver water from the SFWB treatment plant to the Division Street Pump Station which serves water to Oregon City, West Linn, and Clackamas River Water district south service area.

The 42-inch transmission line was identified as a high priority project in the SFWB 2016 Water Master Plan. However, the new transmission line was declared an emergency installation by the SFWB after a low pressure/low volume leak was discovered on July 19, 2018 in the 30-inch transmission line located along Hiram Avenue that currently feeds the Division Street Pump Station.

The leak in the current transmission line is not impacting the quality or quantity of water, and the construction schedule and plans for the new line are being continuously monitored by SFWB and Oregon City and West Linn. After the new 42-inch line is in service, the leak in the existing 30-inch line will be repaired. Having two functional transmission lines will provide much needed redundancy of service and the added capacity to meet future water needs.

Currently the SFWB water treatment plant has a 22 million gallon per day production capacity that serves approximately 65,000 customers. Ultimately, the installation of this transmission line, along with other system upgrades, will provide enough water to serve approximately 100,000 customers. “The new waterline is another step toward meeting our customer’s goals,” said John Collins, SFWB General Manager. “It provides additional capacity and will address the region’s long-term water needs.”

The new transmission line will consist of approximately 860 feet of 42-inch ductile iron pipe. Construction is tentatively scheduled to begin the first week of October 2018 and be completed in late November 2018. It is important to note this project is being funded by System Development Charges and will not result in a rate increase to our Oregon City and West Linn customers.

The South Fork Water Board is continuously working together with other water providers to improve the reliability, planning and management of municipal water supplies.

For more information please contact John Collins at South Fork Water Board (503) 657-5030.