WateReuse Summer Summit & Social

Our friends at the WateReuse Association (Pacific Northwest Section) are hosting their fourth annual Summer Summit and Social in Newberg this June! Anyone is welcome to register and attend to learn more about water recycling in our region. The MWMC hosted the first annual Summit event, and we continue to support the work that our colleagues at the WateReuse Association do for our communities. Continuing to find ways to conserve our water and maximize its uses is an important part of how we plan for our future needs.

MWMC History: The Headworks

Aerial view of the headworks expansion during construction.

Our regional wastewater treatment plant has undergone many changes over the 41 years it's been in operation. In 2008, we began construction on one of the most important upgrades our plant has received. Our pretreatment facility, a.k.a. the headworks, was expanded and refitted to create a parallel flow scheme to help the plant handle heavy rain, which leaks into wastewater pipes. Prior to this upgrade, the plant's maximum capacity was 175 million gallons per day. Since the construction, the plant is now able to handle a peak of 277 million gallons per day.

This was a critical upgrade for the winter months, when Lane County sees rain on a daily basis. One of the issues the MWMC used to commonly encounter in the winter was the need to divert wastewater away from the treatment plant due to its limited capacity. Since the change to the headworks, our plant has been able to handle wintertime flows without diversion, ensuring that all the water is cleaned before being released to the Willamette River.

Meet the Team: Troy McAllister, Managing Engineer

When did you start working at the City of Springfield/MWMC?

I started at the city of Springfield April 2^nd, 1990. I was a survey technician. I got my land surveying license first, and then I got my engineer 's license. I became a civil engineer in other parts of Springfield but then became a senior civil engineer for MWMC. I started with the MWMC around 1997ish. I was a fairly young engineer.

You recently celebrated 35 years with the City of Springfield. What changes have you seen during that time for the city and the MWMC?

The regulatory things have changed over time. It seems to take more steps and elements to get your construction permits. Technology has evolved. I've seen over time where they're using more complicated computer models for the collection system and treatment systems. I'm seeing from the old 2004 study to the 2025 study more robust efforts to understand and simulate the system.

What do you like most about your work?

I enjoy seeing a project from the beginning to being implemented and actually going out. And then seeing it still in use ten, twenty years or longer. It’s rewarding. I enjoy seeing the construction activities and, you know, seeing some progress.

What do you enjoy outside of work?

I enjoy outdoor stuff. Camping, fishing, hiking. I play volleyball, leagues and also pick up games. I enjoy fishing trout and steelhead. I use live bait. If a fish doesn’t eat a worm, usually there’s something wrong with the fish. So worms are a good technique.

You say “we”. How long have you been married?

Longer than I’ve worked here. I got married in 1989. I knew my wife all the way back to grade school, but didn’t date ‘til after college. We both grew up in Eugene, and I went to Sheldon High School. Go Irish! And then I went to the Oregon Institute of Technology. We enjoy cruising, on a ship. Sightseeing and going to ports and stuff. One bucket list thing is I’d like to go through the Panama Canal just to see it. 

If you'd like to learn more about the work wastewater staff do, visit our website!

Pollution Solutions

Some of the most difficult substances to remove from water are pharmaceutical medications. With thousands of different chemical compounds on the market, finding effective ways to neutralize traces of all medications is an incredibly tall order. That's why the best way to keep pharmaceuticals out of our water sources is by preventing it from entering the water. Never flush pharmaceuticals down your drains. Instead, you can take unneeded prescriptions to any pharmacy in Oregon, where they will dispose of them properly!