Sean C. Morgan
Demolition of Sweet Home’s old Water Treatment Plant was completed on Friday, Nov. 16.
The city’s new Water Treatment Plant went on line on Aug. 13, 2009, replacing a plant that was built in the 1930s and upgraded in the 1960s.
The plant had become incapable of meeting U.S. Environmental Protection Agency drinking water standards, which increased in the late 1990s. The plant could not meet chlorine contact time requirements.
Staton Companies of Eugene began demolishing the old plant on Nov. 5.
The cost was about $39,000.
The demolition included a removal of a limited amount of asbestos and lead paint abatement, which took less than a day, said Public Works Director Mike Adams. After abatement, the contractor went in with an excavator and knocked over the structure, located at the north end of Ninth Avenue, and then broke the concrete into gravel that will be stored and used for future projects.
The contractor salvaged the metals from the structure, Adams said. The salvage was recognized as part of the contract, reflecting the low bid.
The intake structure above the South Santiam River was also removed, Adams said.
The area around the plant is surrounded by a temporary fence, Adams said. It will remain in place until city staff can decide what the best alternative will be for the property.
The plant was located at the site of the old Public Works offices and maintenance facilities.
Those buildings are being used to store surplus furniture and supplies, and the city is using it for parks operation and maintenance.
Options could include dividing the property and selling some of it or making a park, for example, Adams said. “It’s an open space right now.”
And the city has no specific plans for it right now, he said.