Related News
Related News
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Let's talk turkey. If a disaster strikes, is your family ready?
Many of us avoid discussing politics over the dinner table in the spirit of family peace and harmony. But here's a topic that can bring everyone together: emergency preparedness.
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For more than a century, EWEB has planned, built, and maintained the systems that deliver safe, reliable, and environmentally responsible power and water to Eugene homes and businesses.
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EWEB’s water infrastructure projects designed for reliability during major disasters
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Fall is the perfect time to prepare for winter storm season
Winter is coming, which increases the likelihood of storm-related power outages. It's important to be prepared, and there are simple actions you can take right now.
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EWEB lead annual "Spill Drill"
EWEB coordinates drill as part of protecting Eugene’s drinking water
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Salmon Return to Finn Rock Reach
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EWEB programs reflect community values
EWEB is here to serve our customer-owners and provides programs that reflect the values of our community.
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EWEB Prepares for the Annual Observance of "Imagine a Day Without Water"
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National Preparedness Month: Older adults take control in 1, 2, 3
We know older adults can face greater risks when it comes to the extreme weather events and emergencies we face, especially if they are living alone, are low-income, have a disability, depend on electricity for medical needs, or live in rural areas.
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Bethel neighbors boost emergency preparedness during Emergency Water Station event
Staff gave out about 300 emergency water containers to enthusiastic community members eager to learn more about the water station.
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How does EWEB recover the costs of serving customers
Here’s an overview of the three primary ways EWEB recovers the costs of serving customers and generates the funds needed to keep the power on and the water flowing.
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Stay cool during extreme heat events
With temperatures forecasted to reach over 100 degrees over the next several days, we've prepared some tips and tricks to help you stay cool.
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Women in STEM: Meet our servant leader and maker of tough decisions
Karen Kelley, Chief Operations Officer at EWEB, describes herself as a "servant leader," offering support and mentoring to four division managers at EWEB.
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EWEB establishes multipronged resiliency policy
Disaster recovery and prevention are being embedded in all operations and processes.
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Women in STEM: Meet the water quality specialist who ensures the safety of Eugene's drinking water
Brenda Casarez began working at EWEB in 2009, collecting samples from all over the water system testing for different contaminants.
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What if a water crisis happens here?
May 31, 2018
For over 100 years, we have served the community with clean, clear water drawn from the mountain-fed McKenzie River. But should something happen to disrupt our water system, there is only a one- or two-day supply of water, stored in reservoirs throughout the community.
There's always the possibility that a natural or human-caused disaster could affect us here in Eugene. Emergencies that could result in a water supply shortage include earthquake, drought, forest fire in our watershed, severe flood, a chemical spill into the McKenzie River, and a system or facility failure.
The recent crisis in Salem has resulted from toxic algae blooms in Detroit Lake. Water from the lake flows into the North Santiam River, which is Salem's drinking water source.
We regularly monitor our community drinking water source, the McKenzie River, for algae blooms and other water quality issues. Although cyanotoxins are a real threat to the watershed, we have never detected toxic algae at our water intake. Monitoring water quality from "source to tap" helps ensure the quality of your drinking water.
Nevertheless, the contamination at Detroit Lake is a reminder that continued investment, planning and preparation is needed to ensure uninterrupted delivery of safe, high-quality drinking water.
We're investing in long-term reliability of our drinking water system
In case of an emergency, our community is going to need access to clean water for drinking, public health and safety, so we're making strategic investments in key components of the water system. Our Water Reliability Initiative includes several infrastructure reliability projects over the next 10 years, including replacing water mains, upgrading interties, upgrading or building new reservoirs, adding back-up electrical power to pump stations and expanding the Hayden Bridge Filtration Plant.
We're also working with community partners to develop an emergency water supply program that will include several permanent distribution sites located throughout the community. Each distribution site would be configured as a joint water and electric facility with a well, water treatment system, standby generator, and a microgrid to provide reliable standby power. Our plan calls for the development of five geographically dispersed well sites within the next five years, with the first set to go operational in fall 2018.
Emergency preparedness is a shared responsibility
We are taking steps to prepare for an emergency in our community, whether human-caused or a natural disaster. You can do your part by building an emergency supply kit for your household. If a natural or man-made disaster occurs, you can rest easier knowing you are better prepared with a household emergency kit. Putting together your own kit is simple and easy, and it begins with having on hand a minimum of one gallon of water per person per day for drinking and basic sanitation. The Oregon Office of Emergency Management encourages residents to be prepared to be on their own for a minimum of two weeks. For tips and resources on building an emergency kit, visit eweb.org/emergencyprep.