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Little Prairie City had a big problem. The primary source of drinking water for the northeastern Oregon community’s 1,100 residents showed high counts of contaminants that required cleanup in order to be considered safe for drinking.

Adding high amounts of chlorine to the water solved the problem temporarily. But the chemical was expensive and residents complained about how it made the water taste and smell. City officials knew they had to find a more affordable, long-term solution for treating the water. They turned to Anderson-Perry & Associates for help.
The city had some definite constraints. City officials knew they would probably have to build a facility, but any new system would have to mesh with existing infrastructure that had been in place for more than 50 years. The system would need to be easy to operate. And the new facility needed to be built and run without significantly increasing water rates for city residents.

Anderson-Perry recommended the city build a slow sand filter treatment plant. The slow sand filter system would operate using gravity flow, which would eliminate the need for – and reduce the cost of – constant pumping.

The city owned a piece of property ideally situated for a gravity flow system, but the site was small with a tight work area. Anderson-Perry responded by creating a layout and design that maximized the site’s potential.

The project broke ground in 2008, and the new facility began operations in summer 2009. In short order, the level of contaminants in the water decreased by 90 percent to 100 percent. The amount of chlorine used to treat drinking water was cut by more than 50 percent. And Prairie City was able to join the sustainable ranks with a water system that uses minimal water to operate, and can even operate without any electricity for a significant time period in the event of a total power outage.