Sellwood Sewer Projects

November 2009 

The City of Portland is working on several sewer projects in the Sellwood area.

Sellwood Interceptor Project

This pipeline will run along the Oregon Pacific Railroad between SE Linn and Tacoma, and will connect to the Umatilla Pump Station at SE 6th and Umatilla, and to the new Sellwood CSO Pump Station. Construction starts this fall and will take about nine months to complete.

Construction has closed the Springwater Corridor Trail between SE Spokane and Umatilla until February 2010. Trail users can detour around construction on SE 7th and SE Spokane (see map below).

Sellwood Reliever Project

This project constructed new sewer pipe in Umatilla from SE 11th Avenue to SE 19th, in 11th from Umatilla to Nehalem, and in Tenino from 8th to 9th. Environmental Services began construction in early 2008 and completed the work in October 2008, on time and under budget.

Umatilla Pump Station Upgrade

A complete rebuilding of the pump station will start in late 2009 and take about one year.

Wet Weather Pump Station

Environmental Services will build the Sellwood CSO Pump Station near the foot of Harney street, below the railroad tracks, partially on private property and partially in the Sherrett Street right-of-way. The project includes construction of a new pressure sewer up Harney Street to 7th, north to Umatilla and east to the Sellwood Reliever at 11th and Umatilla. Pump station construction will start in early 2010 and take about 18 months.

Lents Trunk Sewer Rehabilitation Project

This project will use the existing outfall pipe and deep tunnel underneath Harney Street to store wet weather flows for the new Sellwoood Pump Station. Environmental Services will refurbish the interior of the existing pipe. Construction will start in 2010 and will take about four to six months.

Project Benefits

Sellwood has a combined sewer system, which carries sewage from homes and businesses and stormwater runoff from streets in the same pipes. When it rains, the pipes fill to capacity and some of the sewage and stormwater overflows through three outfall pipes into the Willamette River (see map).

The Sellwood projects are part of Portland's program to control combined sewer overflows (CSOs) to the Willamette River. Click here for more information about Portland's CSO control efforts.

Construction Impacts and Issues

These are major sewer construction projects that will impact residents, businesses and motorists. We will work to minimize impacts, anticipate issues, and respond to neighborhood concerns. Some issues for the Sellwood projects include:

• Coordination with the railroad and the future Springwater Trail route.
• Extended construction time of multiple projects in the same area.
• Environmental Services is working with a Citizen Advisory Committee on design of the new Sellwood CSO Pump Station.

For More Information

For questions or concerns, or to receive project updates by email, call David Allred at 503-823-7287.