Wastewater System Improvements Project
Improving Our River, Improving Our
Future
Albany’s population has doubled since the wastewater treatment plant was completed in the late 1960s. The plant, which serves the cities of Albany and Millersburg, can no longer keep up with the volume of wastewater that comes to it for treatment, especially during wet weather.
Albany is under order from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality to eliminate untreated sewage overfl ows by the end of 2009. Work is now underway on the first phase of nearly $60 million in improvements and upgrades to meet that deadline and to reaffirm our responsibility as stewards of the environment.
What benefits will this project provide?
- Improved wastewater collection and treatment and enhanced habitat near streams
- Opportunities to work with local industries to solve mutual problems
- Responsible planning to make the most of the communities’ investments
- Building on Albany’s and Millersburg’s partnership, which began with the Albany-Millersburg Water Treatment Plant
- New trails and other recreation facilities
- Living examples of how the wastewater system affects public health, the environment, and the economy
The first phase of this project will expand the wastewater treatment plant, build a wet-weather pump station, and provide needed sewer capacity.
The second phase will be a 10-acre natural treatment area that makes treated wastewater safe for creating wetlands and irrigating parks. The 10 acres will be a demonstration area, the first step toward eventually creating a much larger system of integrated wetlands. The wetlands will mix treated wastewater from the two cities and two adjacent industries with natural lakes and wetlands, reestablishing habitat while further cleaning and cooling the wastewater before it rejoins the Willamette River farther downstream.
Since the existing wastewater plant was built, treatment methods and technology have improved remarkably. Equipment in the new plant will be able to treat more wastewater and do it more thoroughly with less odor and noise.
Watch
project progress 
