In August of 1994, the City entered into a combined sewer overflow (CSO) abatement agreement with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).  The agreement calls for compliance with an Amended Stipulation and Final Order (ASFO) to control 55 CSO outfalls into the Colombia Slough and Willamette River by December 1, 2011, with intervening major deadlines to complete specific parts of work.  The City is currently in the 14th year of a $1.4 billion program with over 50% of the volume of CSO's eliminated and virtually all CSO's eliminated from the Columbia Slough.  Construction of improvements to control overflows from the west side of the Willamette River is on schedule for completion by December 1, 2006.  The cost of the CSO Program is funded entirely by Portland ratepayers.

 

The last and largest of the CSO projects is about to begin along the east side of the Willamette River.  The East Side CSO Tunnel, Shafts, and Pipelines Project will represent the largest public works project ever built in Portland.  The key goals in construction of this project include:

In order to assure that these goals are attained and that issues, which arise in pursuit of these goals, have a forum for discussion, a Citizens Oversight Committee will be formed as an advisory panel for BES staff and City Council during the implementation of the ESCSO project.  The ESCSO Citizens Oversight Committee will be comprised of 12 to 15 people living in Portland who have demonstrated interest in civic affairs and are willing to invest the time to advise BES and City Council on the issues that arise on the ESCSO project.  Committee members will be selected on their ability to objectively evaluate community issues and the overall effectiveness of the ESCSO project.  The committee will report to City Council no less than every six months along with BES' staff report on the ESCSO project.  the committee will meet as needed but no less than quarterly.