The Ashland Climate Collaborative has not taken a position on the water treatment plant ballot measure 15-234 Below is the opinion of our Water Conservation Team.
New Ballot Measure Would Finance a Hardier Water Treatment Plant
Ashland’s water treatment plant has served the city since 1948. Not only is it reaching the end of its useful life, its location is subject to flooding and landslides and experts say it’s not well-equipped for the algae blooms that today’s warmer climate will likely bring. A new ballot measure, Ashland Measure 15-234, authorizes federal financing of a new Ashland Water Treatment Plant (WTP) in a safer location.
The plans to move the plant to a new, safer location have been in development since 2012 when the Comprehensive Water Master Plan, approved by City Council that year, first identified the aging plant’s poor condition and the hazards of its current location. Experts predict that the Ashland Creek water stored behind Hosler Dam in Reeder Reservoir will increasingly be subject to potential algae blooms. The existing plant does not have enough capacity to accommodate treatment of large, toxic algae blooms.
Located in the steep and narrow Ashland Creek Canyon, the plant is subject to flooding and landslides. Sources note that Ashland has experienced 11 flooding events in the history of the city. The 1974 flood and the 1997 flood and landslide incapacitated the water treatment plant and the city was forced to bring in bottled water for several weeks. (See photo.) It is unrealistic to expect a future without flooding or natural disasters such as landslides, wildfire, or a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake.
More recently the City Council, continuing the work from past councils and City staff, passed a resolution to use low-cost borrowing for this project through revenue bonds. This federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) program assists cities nationally in accessing low-cost funding to strengthen their water infrastructure with new technologies.
The ballot measure is about using this financing for the water treatment plant. The terms and conditions of financing available through federal infrastructure funding are beneficial to the City and are better than those available from any other source. It’s a larger sum of money with a lower interest rate, for starters. The city will continue to face increasing costs for building materials, labor, and financing if the project is delayed. Common sense seems to dictate that the city take advantage of this significant opportunity and savings.
The members of your Water Action Team have all participated in the planning for our city’s water future, some for decades. Several have served on the Ashland Water Advisory Committee (AWAC) which met for the first time in 2010. The team members worked diligently to support water conservation services and to ensure that conservation would take center stage in the City’s approach to water management. This is why your Water Action Team feels compelled to share this information. In our opinion, this project is well-planned and much-needed.
To learn more, consult the city’s website at https://ashlandoregon.gov/waterplant and the arguments in the Voters’ Pamphlet when it arrives.