Water Wisdoms | December 2020 Newsletter
Happy Holidays from the MWMC!
From all of us at the Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission, we wish you a happy and safe holiday season! We look forward to meeting your wastewater needs throughout the holidays and into next year.

For tips from our partner Lane County Public Health on how to plan a safe holiday celebration this year while preventing the spread of COVID-19, click here.
Did you Know?
On average, our treatment plant receives and cleans about 35 million gallons of wastewater per day - that's 106 Olympic-sized pools! People throughout our community use water to take showers, clean their dishes, and do business at all hours of the day, and our staff works hard 24/7/365 to clean it. Operators are on site around the clock every single day of the year making sure the wastewater treatment process is running smoothly. Please join us in thanking these hard-working staff members for the often unseen but essential service they provide! To learn more about our wastewater treatment plant, click here.
MWMC Partners with OSU TRACE-COVID-19 Program
The MWMC, along with the Cities of Eugene and Springfield, recently partnered with Oregon State University to sample wastewater at the regional treatment plant and at points in the wastewater collection system throughout the community for COVID-19. Since the program began earlier this fall, COVID-19 continues to be detected in wastewater samples taken from the plant. Additional results will be reported to Lane County Public Health. To learn more about OSU's TRACE-COVID-19 program, click here.
Winter Billing is Here
If you study your December Eugene Water & Electric Board or Springfield Utility Board bill, you may notice a change in the wastewater portion. That’s because wastewater service charges include a flow-based fee, determined by your actual water usage during the winter weather months (December through April), plus a standard base charge. The flow-based fee measures water that goes down the drain and needs to be cleaned.

During the other months of the year (May through November), the wastewater portion of your bill is based on the average of your winter water usage or actual usage, whichever is less – to account for outdoor water use including irrigation, which isn’t treated as wastewater. If you find there is a significant increase in the wastewater portion of your December bill (that doesn’t seem to match with an increase in your household’s or business’ water usage), it might indicate a potential water leak. Learn how to check for a water leak and learn more about the wastewater service portion of your utility bill.
Be a Part of our Biocycle Farm Poplar Harvest
The MWMC is preparing to harvest approximately 100 acres of poplar trees on our Biocycle Farm next year and currently soliciting feedback to build strong partnerships. If you're an architect, builder, harvester, planter, miller, processor, educator, or researcher, we want to hear from you! Click here to take our five-minute survey, which will remain open through this Friday, December 18. To learn more about our Biocycle Farm and the upcoming poplar harvest, click here.