Related News
Related News
-
Drinking Water Week 2024
This week, we celebrate the value of clean, safe water, the importance of water infrastructure, and the critical role of water professionals.
Find Out More -
EWEB opens application for 2024 Electric Mobility Community Grants
Grant awards of up to $30,000 to cover costs associated with electric mobility projects.
Find Out More -
The Big Freeze 2024: After Action Report
Winter 2024 was one for the records books, and we'll look back on it for years to come and say, "That was a doozy!" The back-to-back January Ice Storms caused widespread damage to EWEB’s service territory, affecting approximately 38,000 customers. Preliminary repair costs were over $8 million, and additional repairs to transmission lines are still required.
Find Out More -
Fixing the Unseen: Water Pipeline Replacement in Unincorporated Eugene
Learn more about EWEB's methods for monitoring and replacing aged water pipelines.
Find Out More -
New tanks come online as EWEB modernizes water system
New drinking water storage tanks are one of several investments to ensure that EWEB can meet critical community needs in the event of an earthquake.
Find Out More -
Spring Cleaning? How about Spring Emergency Preparedness!
Spring is officially here and that means the plants are blooming, the sun is (sometimes) shining, and the grass is green! We've had our fair share of severe weather already, but spring weather is notoriously unpredictable. While you're in the midst of spring cleaning and garden care, consider completing these emergency preparedness tasks.
Find Out More -
EWEB General Manager Delivers 2024 State of the Utility
General Manager Frank Lawson delivered his address at the March 5 public Board of Commissioners meeting
Find Out More -
State of the McKenzie Watershed
EWEB’s Drinking Water Source Protection (DWSP) team says the McKenzie River continues to be an excellent source for drinking water.
Find Out More -
Nine days without power: My ice storm story as an EWEB customer and employee
While beautiful and peaceful, buying a home on the edge of the forest and surrounded by trees has its tradeoffs. Moving “upriver,” I knew there would be more threats to prepare for, including Mother Nature’s seasonal surprises.
Find Out More -
Preparation and Resilience: How EWEB Maintained Water Service During Recent Ice Storm
Learn about the projects and people that helped EWEB keep water flowing throughout the extreme weather event.
Find Out More -
EWEB achieves power restoration milestone over the weekend
Crews have so far restored power for 92% of customers who originally lost power at the height of the ice storm.
Find Out More -
Reenergized McKenzie River Valley transmission lines allow EWEB crews to restore power upriver
On Friday, a majority of EWEB crews tackled power restoration efforts upriver, after federally managed transmission lines were reenergized Thursday.
Find Out More -
EWEB estimates one week to complete power system restoration
On Wednesday, EWEB crews restored power for about 10,000 customers by repairing large equipment first.
Find Out More -
Second round of ice and ensuing thaw prompt mass power outages
On Wednesday, all EWEB crews, who have been working nonstop since Saturday, traversed EWEB’s service territory assessing the damage and restoring transmission lines and main power feeders.
Find Out More -
Power restored at EWEB’s water treatment plant
Crews restored electric power at EWEB's Hayden Bridge Water Filtration Plant Monday evening, allowing operators to switch off the generators and rely again on the grid. Meanwhile, EWEB crews brace for additional outages amidst second round of ice and during the coming thaw.
Find Out More - Show More
Bethel neighbors boost emergency preparedness during Emergency Water Station event
August 31, 2023 • Robyn Smith, EWEB Communications
EWEB hosted an Emergency Water Station community demonstration on Saturday at the Prairie Mountain School in the Bethel neighborhood of Eugene.
Staff gave out about 300 emergency water containers to enthusiastic community members eager to learn more about the water station and boost their home emergency preparation kit with a free, three-gallon water container.
Attendees picked up home and family emergency preparedness material, including EWEB’s Pledge to Prepare campaign, a yearlong emergency preparedness plan. Those who join the Pledge to Prepare receive a monthly email with step-by-step recommendations to help prepare their home and family for an emergency. You can sign up here.
With a new water container, attendees headed through the mock emergency water station to practice using the station hoses. Each hose has a lot of pressure, so this was a unique opportunity for participants, young and old, to practice filling up their container by placing the hose and opening the valve to the right amount of pressure to avoid getting sprayed in the process – which doesn’t feel that bad on a hot summer day!
Finally, attendees headed over to the water disinfection station, where they learned how to properly disinfect the water before drinking. The water from the station comes from a well in the ground, and EWEB recommends disinfecting the water before use by adding 1/8 teaspoon of unscented household bleach (the label should say it contains between 5-6% of sodium hypochlorite) per gallon and then letting it stand for 30 minutes.
“This event increases the community’s awareness about the water station, and it doubles as an activation drill for staff and volunteers from Eugene’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT),” said Jeremiah Bridges, emergency management specialist.
EWEB will host an emergency water station demonstration annually, rotating through the five established stations. EWEB is building two additional water stations, one near Churchill High School and another near Roosevelt Middle School.
About EWEB’s Emergency Water Stations
Over the past few years, EWEB has built five emergency water distribution stations to ensure safe and reliable drinking water flows into our community, even if a disaster strikes that may disrupt our drinking water supply.
An example of a large-scale disaster would be the subduction zone earthquake, which could affect the McKenzie River, disrupt the water treatment plant, or damage the 800 miles of distribution pipes that deliver water to Eugene homes and businesses.
There’s always the possibility that a natural or human-caused disaster could affect us here in the Pacific Northwest. EWEB can help our communities withstand and recover from such an event by planning with these emergency water stations.
The water well at each station extends over 100 feet below the surface, and all of the water that is provided at the station comes from that well. The stations are designed to provide each person with two gallons of water per day.
If a disaster event requires EWEB to open these stations, community members will need to bring their own water storage container and disinfect the water before use.
Site locations
Prairie Mountain School - 5305 Royal Ave.
Howard Elementary School - 700 Howard Ave.
Eugene Science Center - 2300 Leo Harris Parkway
Lane Events Center/Fairgrounds - 796 W 13th Ave.
Sheldon Community Center - 2445 Willakenzie Rd.