Related News
Related News
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EWEB opens application for 2024 Electric Mobility Community Grants
Grant awards of up to $30,000 to cover costs associated with electric mobility projects.
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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.
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Fixing the Unseen: Water Pipeline Replacement in Unincorporated Eugene
Learn more about EWEB's methods for monitoring and replacing aged water pipelines.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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EWEB crews making downed lines safe and restoring power across Eugene and the foothills
As EWEB works to restore electric service to customers affected by the ice storm, the customer-owned utility is following established policies and its “hierarchy of repair” to prioritize repairs that restore electric service to the greatest number of customers.
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Women in STEM: Meet the water quality specialist who ensures the safety of Eugene's drinking water
July 20, 2023 • Molly Babcock, EWEB Communications
High up in the Cascade Mountains, a spring feeds Clear Lake. Porous volcanic rocks filter groundwater before it enters the lake, from which it proceeds into the McKenzie River. The river flows 85 miles before it reaches the Hayden Bridge Water Treatment Plant, where Brenda Casarez started her career at EWEB in 2009.
Since then, Casarez has worked her way up to senior water quality specialist. Her team collects samples from all over the water system, including over 100 sampling stations throughout Eugene. Water samples are tested for different contaminants depending on location and timing.
EWEB’s current monitoring plan consists of over 300 contaminants, with multiple collections each year. Casarez reports test results to the Oregon Health Authority, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and EWEB customers. Casarez also stays educated about new regulations and best practices to stay ahead of testing requirements.
Casarez’s work, EWEB’s filtration process and robust watershed protection measures have all contributed to ensuring EWEB’s water is some of the cleanest in the world.
“Water matters to everybody, and we need to send out a product that is safe and tastes as good as we can make it,” she said. “Any drop of water that leaves our treatment plant could be the drop that is making a baby's formula.”
Casarez has come a long way, but her path wasn’t always clear.
“By high school, I knew that I wanted to do something in the sciences,” she said.
She graduated from the University of Oregon with a Bachelor’s of General Sciences in 1992. After school, Casarez worked at a local laboratory and environmental consulting firm for 17 years.
“I started in the laboratory running the lab certification program and then transitioned to consulting on regulatory issues for smaller Oregon Public Water Systems,” Casarez said.
Casarez could not be happier with her current position. “EWEB has been an innovative place to work, filled with the most forward-thinking and supportive coworkers,” Casarez said. “There are many projects on the horizon, and Water Operations is ready to tackle them all.”
Working in a STEM (science, technology, engineering, or math) field, Casarez found that building trust with clients and coworkers was very important.
“As with any job, being knowledgeable and following through on commitments is crucial,” Casarez said.
Casarez would advise that aspiring scientists get their degrees and explore the water and utility fields. Water is a critical resource, but the industry is facing growing issues in supply and contamination. There is a great need for bright minds and new ideas.