 City of Portland saves ratepayers millions with second federal loan
In December, the City of Portland was recognized for securing an additional $319 million Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loan supporting the Bull Run Treatment Projects. This is the second WIFIA loan we’ve received, bringing Portland’s total WIFIA loans to over $1 billion. The WIFIA program’s favorable terms will save Portland ratepayers at least $387 million in repayment costs.
Learn more about the WIFIA loan benefits from City officials, EPA Director of Infrastructure Implementation Wendi Wikes, and Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley who created the WIFIA program.
Surpassing equity expectations
We strive to center equity in everything we do, from building new infrastructure to reliably delivering high-quality drinking water. In December, the Bull Run Filtration Projects were honored by the Professional Business Development Group for "Surpassing Equity Expectations and Achieving an All Time High."
The Bull Run Filtration Projects are some of the first large regional projects to implement the new Regional Workforce Equity Agreement, and we are setting a high bar for equity participation. It’s important for our construction workforce to represent the diversity of our community, and our construction teams are delivering on significant equity contracting goals. These projects are expected to create more than 6,100 jobs and include more than $323M million in construction contracts with businesses registered under Oregon’s Certification Office for Business Inclusion and Diversity (COBID).
Learn more about how we are committed to equity in every project.
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 Filtration construction update
’Tis the season for concrete and cranes! At the facility site, several tall cranes are being used to move rebar, formwork, piping, concrete, and other construction materials into place in the large, excavated basins. In the coming weeks, we’ll begin pouring concrete for pipe encasements, deep sumps, and process areas. When the filtration facility is completed, these concrete basins will be a critical part of the multistep treatment process.
Pipeline work on Lusted Road has picked up, including the start of work on “lower” Lusted Road where new pipelines will tie into the existing water system. Through January, contractors will be working to temporarily widen Lusted Road within the right-of-way near the county line. The widened road will help maintain traffic flow during future pipeline construction. After the road has been widened, crews will review the area to prepare for connecting the new pipelines to our existing water infrastructure.
For the latest on construction progress, visit portland.gov/FiltrationConstruction.
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