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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EWEB will close College Hill Reservoir site for Fourth of July
June 28, 2023 • Aaron Orlowski, EWEB Communications
EWEB will continue the annual closure of its College Hill Reservoir over the Fourth of July holiday.
For the past several years, EWEB has restricted access to the reservoir surface around the Fourth of July to ensure people do not set off fireworks which can damage the roof and potentially impact drinking water quality.
Setting off fireworks is prohibited across the entire City of Eugene to prevent fires. Fireworks are also prohibited in Lane County open space, parks and recreation areas and in federally or state-managed areas like Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service and Oregon State Parks.
At College Hill, only the surface of the south water tank will be closed over the holiday. EWEB will lock the gates to the surface Friday, June 30. The gates will re-open Wednesday, July 5.
EWEB invites the public to enjoy the ungated public space respectfully.
“College Hill’s primary function, and EWEB’s top priority, is storing and protecting drinking water,” said EWEB Water Operations Manager Mike Masters. “Closing the College Hill reservoir over the Fourth of July holiday has been an effective way to protect the surface of the tank from further damage and water contamination risks.”
A volunteer neighborhood reservoir watch has been in place for years to help reduce risks to water quality from people using the water storage facility for recreation, and EWEB has invested close to $1 million over the past decade on temporary fixes to the 80-year-old facility. Despite improvements, the structure is still susceptible to contamination and has reached the end of its useful life.
Approximately 80,000 people in Eugene rely on the 15 million-gallon College Hill Reservoir for their drinking water. EWEB will dismantle the leaky and antiquated reservoir and replace it in the coming years with new, modern drinking water storage tanks built to withstand major earthquakes. Construction could begin as early as 2024.