Wastewater Master Plan Update

The City of Springfield strategically manages and maintains 250 miles of wastewater pipes. These pipes transport wastewater from Springfield homes and businesses to the Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission’s (MWMC) regional wastewater treatment plant in North Eugene. The MWMC cleans water for the Eugene-Springfield area and then returns the cleaned water to the Willamette River. The MWMC is a partnership between the cities of Springfield and Eugene, along with Lane County.

Wastewater collection is an essential community service. Effective management of the wastewater collection system is critical to the health and vitality of the Springfield community, surrounding water quality, and the local environment.

The City of Springfield’s Operations Division within the Development & Public Works Department performs a variety of activities to manage and maintain the wastewater system. This work is guided by the City’s Capacity, Management, Operations, and Maintenance or CMOM program. Proactive maintenance activities include close circuit TV inspections of wastewater pipe using a camera, high velocity cleaning, and flow metering or measuring the amount of water flowing through the pipes. Additionally, the team repairs leaking sections of wastewater pipes as needed.

Springfield also maintains a hydraulic model to predict areas in the collection system where issues may occur. Larger scale improvements that are needed are added to the City’s five-year Capital Improvement Program and capital budget.

The City of Springfield has an intergovernmental agreement with the City of Eugene’s Wastewater Division for maintaining the pump stations located throughout Springfield. These pump stations lift the water up and push it down through the next series of pipes.

In addition to management of local wastewater pipes throughout Springfield, City staff also provide administration for regional wastewater services provided by the MWMC. Springfield staff work alongside City of Eugene staff, who provide operations of regional MWMC facilities.

An update to Springfield’s Wastewater Master Plan is important for identifying where improvements for increased capacity are needed and the best and most cost-effective way to meet those needs.

The City’s last update of its Wastewater Master Plan was completed in 2008, and all of the capital improvements identified in the plan have been completed. This update to the plan will recommend additional improvements to the City’s wastewater collection system to increase capacity and eliminate identified deficiencies, in anticipation of growth over the next 20 years.

This update to Springfield’s Wastewater Master Plan is budgeted through the Development & Public Works Department’s planning section for infrastructure planning. Funding for the project comes from local wastewater fees paid by customers through the Springfield Utility Board.

As part of the Wastewater Master Plan, a long-term funding plan will be developed to identify options to ensure adequate revenue to address the capital needs of Springfield’s wastewater collection system.

This long-term funding plan will be developed with consideration for rate impacts to community members and businesses and with transparency to stakeholders. The community will have the opportunity to share their input related to any future rate impacts.

To view Springfield’s current wastewater rates, click here. The City’s local wastewater fees and the MWMC’s regional wastewater fees are collected through the Springfield Utility Board, which acts as our billing agent.

There will be opportunities at key project milestones for Springfield community members and project partners to review draft materials, ask questions, and provide input on the project. Be sure to reference this webpage for future opportunities for providing feedback.

During any point of the project, community members are welcome to contact Molly Markarian, Senior Planner and Project Manager. City staff welcome questions about the project.

Community members interested in staying up-to-date about this project are also encouraged to subscribe to the Development and Public Works Department’s quarterly newsletter.