Community Neighbors Inaugurate Fifth Emergency Water Station
On June 18, with the help of community neighbors, EWEB inaugurated a new emergency water station at the Lane County Fairgrounds. We have been working for several years on water reliability projects to ensure safe, reliable water continues to flow in our community. These reliability projects include the development of several neighborhood emergency water stations.
Community neighbors joined us to celebrate the development of the station and to fill up a complementary, 3-gallon emergency water container. In addition to the free water container, attendees enjoyed learning about proper emergency water storage and sanitation procedures. Did you know it’s recommended to store at least 14 gallons of water per person in your household? Fourteen gallons will provide enough emergency drinking water for one person for at least two weeks.
Get tips for storing and treating water here
Eugene’s Community Emergency Response Team was present to address questions and EWEB crew members were onsite to show neighbors how to properly use the water hoses and fill up containers. Those in attendance appreciated learning about how they can be better prepared for a disaster and about the work we are doing at EWEB to provide permanent and reliable emergency access to water throughout the city using groundwater wells.
“In the event of a disaster or localized issue, as we have seen in neighborhood communities like Mapleton and Salem, this water station will be able to dispense 85 gallons of water per minute to local residents,” said EWEB Commissioner John Barofksy (Wards 2 and 3) as he introduced the station to the crowd. “EWEB is doing our part to prepare our electric and water systems for emergency events, we’re hardening our infrastructure and building redundant sources of supply, but, as we say, preparedness is a shared responsibility.”
There's always the possibility that a natural or human-caused disaster could strike us here in the Pacific Northwest and the thought of preparing your home and family for a disaster or other emergency can be daunting. That’s why we created the EWEB Pledge to Prepare, a 12-month blueprint for emergency preparedness. Part of the Pledge to Prepare is storing emergency water in your home and being prepared to utilize emergency water stations.
You can learn more about EWEB’s Pledge to Prepare here
“This inauguration marks the fifth station EWEB has constructed over the past few years,” said Commissioner Barofsky. “We could not have accomplished this goal without the help of many community partners, including neighborhood associations and Lane County Emergency Management.”
Below are the five operational emergency water stations available to you:
- 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 Fire Station - 2435 Willakenzie Rd.
EWEB is in the process of developing two additional sites near Churchill High School and near Roosevelt Middle School. Once they are complete, we hope you will join us to inaugurate the new stations and to pick up and fill up your free emergency water container.
We will continue our dedication to preparing, replacing and maintaining our community's water system because a reliable supply of clean water is vital to public health and safety.
