Water Wisdoms | April 2022 Newsletter
MWMC's Wastewater Treatment Plant Becomes First in Oregon to Produce Renewable Natural Gas
On Wednesday March 30, MWMC Commissioners, staff, and project partners celebrated the launch of our Renewable Natural Gas project with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Through this project and new facilities installed at our regional wastewater treatment plant, we're purifying biogas from our anaerobic digesters, which stabilize and treat solids, to produce renewable natural gas. The new equipment installed as part of this project "scrubs" the biogas to strip it of carbon dioxide and other contaminants. Then, the pure methane/natural gas is injected into NW Natural's system.

We're proud to be the first public agency in Oregon to complete a project of this kind, which aligns closely with our mission to protect the community's health and environment. Producing renewable natural gas allows us to beneficially use 100% of what would be a waste product as a sustainable energy source. We thank our partners at the City of Eugene, City of Springfield, Lane County, NW Natural, Kennedy Jenks Consultants Inc., and DSL Builders for their contributions to this project's success.

Click the link below or the video above to learn more about the science behind this project and its environmental and community benefits,
Commission Appoints New President & Vice President
President Joe Pishioneri
Vice President Bill Inge
At the March MWMC Meeting, the Commission voted to appoint Springfield City Councilor Joe Pishioneri to the position of MWMC President and Lane County citizen representative Bill Inge to the position of MWMC Vice President for terms of one year, through March 2023.

Pishioneri was the MWMC Vice President from March 2021-March 2022, and previously served as President from March 2016-March 2017. He has been on the Commission since 2015. Inge has served on the Commission since 1999, and has held the President and Vice President roles numerous times. Each of their terms will be for one year, through March 2023. Congratulations to President Pishioneri and Vice President Inge! We look forward to all the MWMC will continue to accomplish under their and the entire Commission's leadership.
Spring Cleaning the Right Way - Proper Drug Disposal
Doing some spring cleaning? Remember to dispose of expired or unwanted prescriptions properly! These items contain hazardous ingredients that can be dangerous to children, pets, and others. They can also be harmful to the wastewater system and environment if poured down the drain or flushed down the toilet.

Expired or unwanted medications, both prescription and over-the-counter, can be disposed of in one of many local kiosk drop-off sites at pharmacies and other community locations. Community members can also pick up a postage paid, pre-addressed envelope from select locations or order free mail-back supplies to be sent directly to them. For a full list of kiosk drop-off sites in the Eugene-Springfield area and a link to order mail-back supplies, visit our Pollution Prevention webpage.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's next National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is coming up on Saturday, April 30. This day offers even more opportunities to clear out the medicine cabinets safely. In addition to the kiosk drop-off sites available year-round, community members can also dispose of medications with the Lane County Sheriff's Office from 10am-2pm in the parking lot on the corner of E. 7th Ave. and Pearl St., in Downtown Eugene. Lane County Community College (LCC) Public Safety will also be participating during the same timeframe on April 30 at 4000 E. 30th Ave., Eugene on the west side of Building 19.
Did You Know?
Every year, we put out an Annual Report to share statistics, project updates, and other accomplishments. In case you missed it in last month's issue, our 2021 Annual Report was recently published! It's available at mwmcpartners/org/2021annualreport.

You can also view Annual Reports from the past several years at mwmcpartners.org/annualreport. This webpage is a great resource for learning more about the MWMC, our growth as an organization, and the progress made on projects over the past several years. Check it out to learn more about how we clean water for the Eugene-Springfield area.
Share with Others
Love receiving water news and tips for protecting the Willamette River each month? Forward this newsletter to a friend or colleague to share and encourage them to subscribe to our newsletter at this link. Thanks for partnering with us in our mission to protect the community's health and environment.