Sean C. Morgan
The City Council on Sept. 25 awarded a bid to demolish the old Water Treatment Plant at 1730 Ninth Ave. to Staton Companies of Eugene for $39,061.
“It is obsolete,” said City Manager Craig Martin. The plant was replaced on Aug. 13, 2009 when a new plant opened off 47th Avenue.
The treatment plant was shut down and replaced because it could not meet drinking water regulations set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the late 1990s. City water could not meet the new chlorine contact time requirements before it reached the first customer.
The city was required to send quarterly notifications to residents of the city as a result. It discontinued sending the notices once the new plant opened.
The old plant, constructed in the late 1930s and remodeled in the 1960s, was antiquated, said Mike J. Adams, public works director.
The old facility has remained in its current condition since the new plant opened, allowing staff to salvage all useful equipment and material, Martin said.
The city received two bids, and Staton was the low bidder. The second bid was about double Staton’s bid and did not include removal of the water intake structure, Adams said.
Once the old plant is removed, the city will need to construct fencing around the perimeter to secure the property, Adam said.