91视频

Eugene Water and Electric Board commissioners have scaled back plans for the utility’s second water intake facility.

Currently, Eugene’s drinking water comes entirely from EWEB‘s intake at Hayden Bridge on the McKenzie River. Damage from a natural disaster or a hazardous spill or an equipment failure could cut off Eugene’s access to water. EWEB has long pursued the goal of creating a second facility to process water for drinking.

Last month, when commissioners were presented with potential designs for a second intake, they selected the most ambitious and expensive option. It would have provided 30 million gallons per day 鈥� enough to take Hayden Bridge offline during all but the hottest months.

At an Aug. 4 meeting, EWEB commissioners walked back that decision, instead selecting a design for a facility able to provide 19.4 million gallons per day. Then Hayden Bridge could be taken offline for short periods during the winter.

EWEB won’t know the exact cost until it sees bids, but staff for the utility said that based on their latest analysis, the cost estimates they presented in July turned out to be significantly low.

Last month, staff said the 30 million gallon design would cost $392 million and a 19.4 million gallon design would cost $337 million. This month, staff said the 30 million gallon design would cost $498 million and a 19.4 million gallon design would cost $431 million.

In light of the new information, commissioners and staff agreed to go with the 19.4 million gallon design.

The utility also said that to be able to pay for the treatment plant, it would defer about $36 million of other construction over the next three to five years. Delayed projects include two river crossing pipeline projects, two small reservoir projects for high-elevation customers and two transmission main replacements at Hayden Bridge. While there are trade-offs to those delays, EWEB staff said, the new intake would reduce the urgency of those projects.

The 10-year project to construct the second treatment plant will consume about two-thirds of EWEB’s water utility budget for that period, according to staff.

EWEB staff are currently calculating how the costs will translate to customer water rates.

Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in The Register-Guard and then was distributed on the USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect.