Clean Water University Wins National Honors

The MWMC is proud to announce that Clean Water University has won a National Environmental Achievement Award from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA). The award is for the Public Information and Education program category, and the formal award ceremony will take place in February 2024.

Clean Water University started as a classroom outreach program, and has gradually evolved into a full-fledged curriculum for 5th-graders with online resources and culminating in-person event at the MWMC's Regional Treatment Plant. We are extremely grateful to the staff, volunteers, and teachers who have continued to grow Clean Water University year after year into the amazing program it is today!

MWMC Riparian Restoration Underway, Funding Still Available

These beautiful native trees and shrubs are now in the ground at the Row River Nature Park project in Cottage Grove! Native plants will be installed at the Howard Buford Recreation Area (HBRA) outside Springfield, in late winter 2024. Invasive weeds were removed at both sites earlier this fall to make way for these streamside plantings that will grow to shade the water, cool river temperatures from the tributaries, and improve habitats for native wildlife.

This is part of a riverside revegetation program managed by The Freshwater Trust, Coast Fork Willamette Watershed Council, Middle Fork Willamette Watershed Council, McKenzie Watershed Council, and Friends of Buford Park & Mt. Pisgah. The MWMC is funding the program as part of its innovative permit compliance plan to control temperatures in the Willamette River.

There is funding for approximately 20 more streamside planting projects. Learn more about the program by following the link below and contact The Freshwater Trust if you own riverside land in the program area.

MWMC Reaches One-Year Mark Under Renewed Permit

Last year, the MWMC reached an important long-term goal when it received a new National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. This was the starting signal for several of our long-term environmental and sustainability initiatives, including our riverside restoration project and our recycled water development. We've now reached the one-year mark under our new permit, and we are pleased to report 100% compliance with our current standards and implementation timetable! The dedicated work of wastewater staff for more than a decade helped us anticipate future changes and develop plans in advance to meet those requirements.

The MWMC's operations are governed by its NPDES permit, which is how the Clean Water Act is applied to individual utilities. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality administrates our permit and monitors our results for compliance.

It's the holiday season, and for many of us that means celebrations with family and food! When you're cooking those traditional dishes, make sure to collect the oil and grease and put it in the trash, not down the drain. Fat, oils, and grease (FOG) can cause clogs in your pipes and damage to the wastewater system's infrastructure! Celebrate safely, and put FOG where it belongs: the garbage.