David Patton/Democrat-Herald Chief plant operator Tim Sanders checks the water clarity at the Lebanon water treatment plant last week.

LEBANON - The city water treatment plant is showing its age, as the last few weeks showed, and plans are being made to replace it.

On Oct. 19, too many contaminants flowing through Lebanon’s treatment plant disrupted its ability to produce safe drinking water, causing customers to experience a drop in pressure.

Lebanon’s treatment plant on Second Street extracts water from the Albany-Santiam Canal, and plant manager Brian Helliwell said a combination of leaves, soil and other debris from the waterway were the main reasons the 60-year-old system overloaded.

As a result, chief plant operator Tim Sanders said he almost issued a warning advising users to boil water before drinking it.

It’s normal for leaves and other debris flushed into the canal by fall rains to put stress on the treatment plant, Helliwell explained. It’s just hard for an old system to deal with that kind of situation.

“With newer technology, nothing like this would have happened,” Helliwell said.

Lebanon earlier this year adopted a water plan through the year 2025, which calls for construction of a new treatment plant starting by 2013 and possibly two new reserve tanks before then.

Public Works Director Jim Ruef said the city is already eyeing a spot owned by the city of Albany north of River Park. There, the plant would pump water directly from the South Santiam River.

Such a project, Helliwell said, might cost a minimum of $16 million, depending on what type of machinery the city chooses to purchase.

Ruef said plans don’t yet specify how the plant will be paid for.

In the meantime, Helliwell said Lebanon’s present plant can supply water for another three to four years before population growth demands more water than it can produce.

Lebanon’s population is projected to reach almost 19,000 by 2025.

In the meantime, Helliwell said operators are more prepared for future incidents like what happened two weeks ago.

“It affirms the reason our master plan calls for some changes,” Ruef said.

Water pressure in Lebanon, which has been low since last month’s incident, was expected to return to normal today.

For updates, call Darrell McLaughlin, Lebanon’s environmental operations manager, at 258-4273 or visit the city’s website at www.ci.lebanon.or.us.

DH Reader Comments

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OH NO wrote on Nov 5, 2007 4:34 PM: " Are you crazy talking about water plants around albany, now you will have our councilmen wanting to hook up with lebanon so get ready for another bond. "

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