Water Environment Services

In 1986, the Tri-City wastewater treatment facility replaced obsolete treatment plants in Oregon City and West Linn. Today, the Tri-City facility cleans more than 11 million gallons of wastewater every day before it is released into the Willamette River. The wastewater is collected by a WES-owned-and-operated network of more than 360 miles of sewer pipes and pump stations. The Tri-City facility plays a large role in allowing WES to clean more than seven billion gallons of wastewater every year.

The Tri-City facility provides primary and secondary stages of wastewater treatment. Wastewater flows through screens that remove large objects like rags or sticks. The sewage then passes into a grit chamber, where heavier materials like rocks, silt and sand are removed.

The secondary stage of treatment allows solids (a byproduct of waste) to settle before disinfection begins. Beneficial bacteria and air are pumped into an aeration basin to clean the wastewater as it flows to the secondary clarifiers. The membrane bioreactor uses fine screens, microbiology and filtration to remove environmentally-harmful materials.

Anaerobic digestion uses microorganisms to break down organic materials, which generate biogas (mostly methane and carbon dioxide) in the absence of air. The methane gas is then converted to heat and power, which provides electricity that is used at WES’ Tri-City facility. The digestion process also converts waste into a natural fertilizer. Ultraviolet or chemical disinfection (we use both methods) neutralizes microorganisms, preventing them from replicating.

In 2020, the Tri-City facility received a Peak Performance Gold Standard Award from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) for excellence in plant operations and permit compliance.

Expanding Capacity: The Tri-City Solids Handling Project

In September 2020, Clackamas Water Environment Services (WES) marked a major milestone in its Tri-City Solids Project, which provides facilities designed to ensure that the wastewater treatment needs of more than 190,000 county residents will be met for decades to come. 

A new 1.3 million gallon anaerobic digester, constructed over a two-year period at WES’ Tri-City Water Resource Recovery facility in Oregon City, was successfully brought online after years of planning and design.

Anaerobic digestion is similar to composting but in an oxygen-free environment. Naturally-occurring microorganisms break down organic waste and produce methane gas. The new digester expands the facility’s capacity to process solids, which are a byproduct of treating wastewater from homes and businesses.

“This project is part of WES’ mission to protect public health, clean rivers, and the economy,” said WES Director Greg Geist. “WES is committed to creating a legacy of stewardship and a strong infrastructure that will protect and serve our communities today and well into the future.”

Along with the facility’s two existing digesters, the new digester will turn waste into methane gas that is converted to heat and power, which provides nearly half of the electricity used at the Tri-City facility and provides heat for the process and buildings The digester process also converts the solids into a natural soil amendment.

The new digester was needed to accommodate a population that has more than doubled over the past 30 years. In addition to protecting public health and the environment, the new digester will support future economic growth in the region.

“As our region grows and redevelops while our infrastructure continues to age, we’ll see the need for more projects like this one in the future,” said WES Director Greg Geist. “WES is committed to using value engineering and other practices to keep costs down while ensuring the lowest-risk, state-of-the-art technology is being used.”

Turning Waste into Megawatts

A biopower upgrade at the Tri-City Water Resource Recovery Facility is helping Clackamas County meet climate-action goals and extend the benefits of renewable power to more residents.

The new, low-emissions biogas project transforms organic waste into renewable energy. This co-generation system will produce heat for five buildings at the site and an estimated 4,324 megawatts of electricity a year—enough to offset nearly half of the facility’s energy use.

The new 600-kW, lean-burn engine is connected to the digester tanks. As the digesters break down organic waste, methane gas is produced. At many facilities, methane is typically wasted by burning or “flaring.” The co-generation engine, instead, converts the methane into heat and renewable energy.

It is waste that needs to be processed anyway. But with this configuration, WES can generate its own power and heat. It saves money and energy and benefits WES and the communities we serve.

Project benefits:

• More local renewable energy
• Lower energy and heating costs
• Carbon emissions reduction
• Improved system efficiency
• Flare minimization
• Renewable power benefits shared with whole community

Estimated annual generation and savings:

• 4,324 MWh generated annually
• 3,057 metric tons of carbon dioxide saved = removing 660 vehicles from the road

Assistance from Energy Trust of Oregon and Portland General Electric’s Renewable Development Fund helped make the biopower upgrade possible.

Energy Trust of Oregon offered expert advice and a $158,000 project development assistance incentive for feasibility studies. Another $1.8 million Energy Trust of Oregon incentive helped cover the biopower project costs, including the engine upgrade, gas scrubbing, flare minimization and additional heat utilization.

The PGE Renewable Development Fund, supported by PGE Green Future renewable energy customers, awarded a $250,000 grant. Since 1999, customers of Portland General Electric have supported clean energy by participating in the Green Future℠ renewable power program. To date, PGE Green Future customers have helped fund more than 14.5 Megawatts of new, local renewable energy generation.

Towering Artwork with an Environmental Message

With a grant from the PGE Renewable Energy Fund, WES collaborated with Clackamas Community College’s Art Department and Environmental Learning Center to create a concept for an educational mural on the biological odor control tower, which uses odor-neutralizing bacteria as a natural alternative to chemicals.

Educator David Andersen and his art students created the mural to demonstrate the importance of watershed health, sustainability, renewable energy, and awareness of climate change.

Before painting, Andersen and his students engaged with community members to develop images that illustrate the ecological diversity of our area separated into three layers –water, earth, and sky –with references to native salmon, Pacific lamprey, freshwater clams, birds, microorganisms and other wildlife.

 

 

Our Timeline

Testing Water Quality for Safety

Testing water quality for safety, the Tri-City Water Quality Lab performs nearly 30,000 analyses per year, including hundreds of tests per month on samples collected from Tri-City, to check the health of water at every step of the wastewater treatment process.

The testing ensures that WES meets discharge requirements for the Willamette River and provides information to optimize operations at Tri-City. In addition, samples from the other WES facilities and surface water facilities are also analyzed.

Practicing Sustainability to Minimize Impact

WES is committed to responsible stewardship, recovery of resources and demonstrating leadership in sustainable business practices.

WES employees are dedicated to following and promoting solid sustainability practices to reduce the environmental impacts of all our activities. WES is proud to have achieved certification in the county’s Leaders in Sustainability program by conserving energy and water at our Tri-City facility and minimizing waste throughout our department.

The Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) uses hollow-fiber membranes to separate particles from water. The MBR’s compact footprint requires fewer components than pressurized systems and provides simple, trouble-free operation and maintenance. The MBR saves both energy and precious water resources.

Conserving Energy, Protecting the Environment

WES has saved millions of kilowatt hours at our Tri-City facility by participating in Energy Trust of Oregon’s Strategic Energy Management Program, which helps organizations train their employees to identify energy-saving opportunities.

After signing up for the program, WES employees identified 104-energy saving possibilities at the Tri-City campus. Since then, WES has saved hundreds of thousands of dollars in energy costs, which benefits the environment and our customers. WES is now in the process of expanding the program’s practices to more of our facilities.

Clackamas Water Environment Services (WES) has obtained a grant from the PGE Renewable Development Fund to collaborate with Clackamas Community College’s Environmental Learning Center and Clackamas Community College Art Department to create a unique educational campaign that intersects the fields of art, education, clean water, and renewable energy. The PGE Renewable Development Fund is funded exclusively by 225,000 Oregonians enrolled in PGE’s Green Future renewable energy program. The project will help educate our local businesses and community members on the importance of the biogas project at the Tri-City Water Resource Recovery Facility,  and its role in protecting watershed health and addressing climate challenges.

A series of community engagement activities will inform the team about what matters most to the community regarding watershed health and climate change, and will serve to influence and support the design of a series of PGE Renewable Energy and Watershed Interpretative Public Art Murals.

Join us for a free and fun online workshop!
Sat, Sept. 12, 2020, 9 a.m. to noon

Participants in this workshop will:

• Strengthen their knowledge of watershed ecosystems and their impacts on our lives.
• Provide inspiration for the creation of the 2021 Tri City Water Resource Recovery facility Public Art Murals.
• Practice drawing techniques and procedures under the guidance of an experienced artist and instructor.
• Explore the use of various drawing mediums and their use. 

In class discussions on watershed health, climate change, habitat preservation and the creation of images will be used as a source of ideas for the creation and installation of the 2021 Public Art Murals at the Tri-City Water Resource Recovery Facility.

David Andersen will guide beginning through advanced drawing students through a number of basic drawing techniques, culminating with a finished graphite drawing of a natural organism from our ecosystem. 

About the Artist

David Raphael Andersen began his early career working as an Entomologist for Environmental Labs where he expedited USDA grants on pesticides.  After several years working in this field he changed directions and decided to become a visual artist.

Since graduating with his MFA degree (Painting) from Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah in 1988, Andersen has worked as an artist, studio instructor and full time Director of Galleries at 5 universities and colleges.  He is currently Professor of Art at Clackamas Community College in Oregon City, OR, where he directs the Drawing and Painting programs.

An internationally exhibited artist, Andersen has also received numerous grants and awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, California Arts Council, Texas Commission on the Arts, Nevada Arts Council, Sierra Arts Foundation and the Clackamas CC Foundation.  His work has also been reviewed and written about in Art in America, The New York Times, San Diego Union Tribune, The Oregonian and the Los Angeles Times among others.

16 years ago Andersen left the retail galleries that had represented him, moved away from social media as a promotional tool, backed away from the business associated with contemporary art world concerns and began to emphasize education as a tool for societal change…while continuing to create work in a prolific manner. 

Clackamas Water Environment Services offers discounts on the sanitary sewer portion of its monthly bills to customers who meet the low income guidelines. Discounts are not applicable to surface water charges.

Income Limits

The 2023 qualifying maximum adjusted gross annual income by household size can be found in the table below. Household income is calculated as it would be on your federal tax return.

To qualify for the discount, please complete the application form.

Once you have completed your application, please return it to:

Attn: Customer Service        
Water Environment Services        
150 Beavercreek Road #430        
Oregon City, OR 97045

If you have questions about the customer discount program, please call 503-742-4567.

Online Utility Bill Payments 
Sign up, manage your account or make a payment — day or night. 
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By Checking Account
Set up autopay from your checking account 

By Phone 
Call 503-742-4567 24 hours a day to pay with your credit card or checking account.

By Mail 
PO Box 6940 
Portland, OR 97228-6940

In Person 
Pay in our lobby or after hours drop box 
150 Beavercreek Road 
Oregon City, OR map

Pay your assessment bill or accounts receivable invoice.

Our customer service team is available to answer questions about our online payments system and other account options at wescustomerservice@clackamas.us or call 503-742-4567.

A Message from our Director, Greg Geist

Vision: Where We Are Going

Be a collaborative partner in building a resilient clean water future where all people benefit and rivers thrive.

Mission: Why We’re Here

Clackamas Water Environment Services produces clean water, protects water quality and recovers renewable resources. We do this by providing wastewater services, stormwater management, and environmental education. It’s our job to protect public health and support the vitality of our communities, natural environment, and economy.

What We Stand For

• Protecting Public Health
• Investment in Our People
• Stewardship of Healthy Watersheds
• Responsive Customer Service
• Fiscal Responsibility
• Water Resource Recovery

Our Strategic Plan
The Strategic Plan provides an overview of the organization’s key initiatives and focus areas

Our Service Area

Are you in the WES service district? Check your address in CMap.

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are human-made chemicals found in a wide range of products used by consumers.

What are PFAS?

Per- and Polyflouroalkyl (POLY-floor-oh-al-kill) substances, known as PFAS, are persistent chemicals found in many consumer and industrial products including:

Widely used since the 1940s, U.S. manufacturers phased out two of the most common types of PFAS (PFOS and PFOA) in the U.S. in 2002 and 2015 although they are still present in some imported products.

Non-stick Pans Some Waxes

Stain-resistant Fabric Waterproof Rainwear

Firefighting Foam Paper Food Packaging

Why are PFAS a Concern?

PFAS do not break down in the environment or in wastewater treatment processes, which raises concern about potential health risks. More research is needed to help scientists understand how PFAS may affect human health. Several recent legislative and regulatory efforts across the U.S. have focused on limiting PFAS levels in drinking water. Research to adequately measure, monitor and evaluate the potential risks of these chemicals, even in trace amounts, is underway. PFAS have been classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a class of “emerging contaminants.”

Are PFAS regulated?

No, PFAS are not regulated at local, state or national levels. There are no federal drinking water standards for PFAS, and they have not been formally regulated by federal agencies that control hazardous pollutants in water, land or air.

What is Being Done About PFAS?

The EPA leads the national effort to understand PFAS and reduce risks to the public. The EPA is working on a nationwide drinking water monitoring process for PFAS. To learn about the EPA’s actions, visit www.epa.gov/pfas.

While PFAS have been detected in wastewater treatment systems, the facilities are not a source of PFAS. Clackamas Water Environment Services voluntarily screened for PFAS at our two largest facilities. The testing did detect PFAS, and the results were similar to those found at other wastewater treatment facilities.

Working Together

Dedicated to protecting public health and the environment, Clackamas Water Environment Services is aligned with our partner agencies and national water quality experts to follow developments in PFAS research. To learn the latest about PFAS in Oregon, Clackamas Water Environment Services works with the Oregon Association of Clean Water Agencies (ACWA), which engages with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) on sharing information the latest information about PFAS.To learn how the DEQ is addressing PFAS in Oregon, visit: https://www.oregon.gov/deq/Hazards-and-Cleanup/ToxicReduction/Pages/PFAS-in-Oregon.aspx.