Project Overview

The City of Klamath Falls is working to significantly upgrade the Spring Street Sewage Treatment Plant due to its aging infrastructure and the need to meet new, stricter DEQ permit requirements. The plant has been in operation since 1958, serving the City for over 60 years. Many of the plant’s parts are original since their installation in the 1950s. As repairs are becoming necessary due to age, it is more cost-efficient to replace them entirely than to repair them.

The improvements will incorporate advanced technologies and processes to meet more stringent water quality limits and to increase the plant’s reliability and resiliency for decades to come.

Benefits

The Wastewater Division provides services to approximately 21,000 city residents and Klamath Basin area customers, cleaning an average 2.2 million gallons of wastewater per day from over 7,400 service connections. These upgrades will provide the following benefits to this process and to the community:

1. Improved health, safety, and welfare of the public.
2. Reliable, robust treatment with sufficient process and equipment redundancy (allowing the plant to stay operational while routine maintenance and repairs occur) and operator-friendly facilities.
3. Energy efficiency, which will result in additional funding from the Energy Trust of Oregon and reduced power bills.

Reduction in operation and maintenance costs due to the elimination of two existing processes: primary clarification and digestion.

Key Project Elements

An improved headworks facility with fine screening and grit removal will remove inorganics and large debris from the wastewater such as sand, gravel, rags, flushable wipes, sticks, and rocks. This will protect downstream pumps and valuable tank space. The current headworks facility was constructed in the 1950s.

A new influent pump station lifts flows from the headworks wet well up to an elevation where the water can then gravity flow through the treatment process. The current pump station was built in the 1950s.

An additional aeration basin will assist with nutrient removal. This is where wastewater is combined with oxygen and a mixed population of bacteria and other microorganisms to consume the organic material in the wastewater and is one of the most essential parts of the treatment process. Adding the additional basin will help meet stricter permit requirements.

Two new screw presses for solids dewatering squeezes solid particles after they are removed from the wastewater to remove excess water to a 14% solids content where they can then be efficiently used for composting.

Conversion of one digester to W.A.S. (Waste Activated Sludge) storage provides efficient reuse of existing infrastructure.

Hydraulic improvements to existing facilities are being made in order to pass higher flows through the facility.

Project Timeline

The project will be moving in phases. Phases 1 and 2 are fully completed. Phase 3 is currently being constructed. Phase 4 is in the planning stages with design and construction coming in late 2024 early 2025. 

During construction there will be little to no impact to the public. Water service will work as normal. Because the plant is in an industrial area away from neighborhoods and public gathering places, people should not experience disruptions outside of some increased truck traffic in the vicinity of the plant.

Cost & Funding

The project is estimated in the $65-100 million range. The project is being funded by incremental ratepayer increases, low-interest loans from the State of Oregon, City funds, and additional funding from the Energy Trust of Oregon.

This cost is typical of a comprehensive plant upgrade with aging infrastructure designed to meet stringent permitting requirements. Advanced technologies and processes will help meet more stringent water quality limits in the upcoming permit.

HELPFUL DOCUMENTS

• Project Overview Fact Sheet
• Treatment Plant Profile Fact Sheet
• Printable FAQs (PDF)