North Shasta Loop Water Storage Upgrade

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March 27, 2025: North Shasta Loop Water Storage: Construction will begin in April 2025

Why is the North Shasta Loop tank being replaced?  

The existing tank had been in continuous service since the mid-1960s and needed significant improvements, including seismic upgrades. The interior coating of the tank was beginning to fail, posing a significant problem for our drinking water. EWEB could have refinished the interior and completed seismic retrofits to improve its performance during an earthquake, but it would have been nearly as expensive as rebuilding and would not have fully addressed the seismic concerns.   

Why leave the existing tank in place during construction?   

EWEB cannot provide water to the hilltops around Spring Blvd. without the North Shasta Loop Reservoir. If EWEB removed the tank, homes in the area would be without water during the entire construction period.  

Why build two tanks instead of one?  

Two tanks provide greater water storage resiliency. With two tanks, EWEB has operational flexibility to utilize one tank during periods of low usage or fix issues as they come up and perform regular maintenance. The flexibility will extend the life of our investment.  

Why are the new tanks taller than the previous tank?  

New seismic codes require room inside the tanks to allow for water sloshing. Without that room, the power of moving water during an earthquake could cause damage to the roof, rendering the reservoir unusable. The new tanks will have a domed roof, which adds nine feet of height from the base, but gives the sloshing water somewhere to move naturally. Additionally, the new tanks are being built adjacent to the existing reservoir, placing them slightly uphill on EWEB’s property.   

Why will the two have less capacity than the one?  

EWEB closely monitors water usage on a monthly, daily, hourly, and even minute-by-minute basis. We paired EWEB’s monitoring with additional studies of usage and population growth in Eugene to find that water demands have been declining. Also, investments made in other parts of town allow us to serve large customers like Lane Community College from different storage tanks. The change further reduced the need for a larger storage tank.  

What will happen to the existing reservoir?  

Once the new tanks are live, the existing reservoir will be demolished. The space will be graded, backfilled with dirt and gravel, and landscaped with native plants.    

Will the area around the tanks be open to the public?  

The site will be fenced and not open to the public.   

Is the pump station going to be replaced as well?  

The onsite pump station was constructed in 2016 and will not be replaced as part of this project.

Eugene’s water system uses gravity to deliver water to homes across Eugene. All homes and businesses below an elevation of 500 ft are fed by our base level reservoirs, like the new water storage tanks at E 40th Ave. Properties above 500 ft elevation require additional pumping and smaller water storage tanks. These smaller water storage tanks and pump stations are dotted across Eugene to serve those at the highest elevations.   

If you live above 500 ft, you’ll notice pumping charges on your EWEB bill each month. These fees help cover the cost of maintaining the pump stations, pipelines, and upper-level reservoirs.

Storage tanks are a critical part of the EWEB water distribution system. In addition to this project, EWEB is working to prepare, replace and maintain other water assets to ensure safe, reliable water continues to flow even as critical infrastructure ages and new challenges arise.