Water Wisdoms | June 2021 Newsletter
MWMC Earns Platinum Peak Performance Award for 14th Year
The MWMC is excited to share that we've earned a Platinum Peak Performance Award from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies for the 14th year in a row of 100% permit compliance! Achieving perfect compliance includes meeting more than 1,700 measured compliance limits throughout the year.

We are committed to protecting the community's health and the environment by providing high-quality wastewater services to the Eugene-Springfield metropolitan area, and are thrilled to have our hard work and consistency recognized through this award. Thanks to our hardworking team for all that they do to clean water and protect the Willamette River 24/7/365.
Commission Extends Small Home SDC Project
At our May 14 MWMC Meeting, the Commission voted to extend our Small Home System Development Charges (SDC) Project for another year. This means that builders of small homes in the Eugene-Springfield area whose projects meet eligibility requirements can apply through their respective city to have their regional SDCs covered by the MWMC.

It's part of our ongoing efforts to support affordable housing and infill development as important community issues. We're excited to continue offering support through the Small Home SDC Project.

For more information on affordable housing and SDCs from the City of Springfield, click here. For more information on SDCs from the City of Eugene, click here.

Photo credit for image above: Bekke Reiman
Local Industries Recognized for Wastewater Discharge Compliance
In conjunction with the cities of Eugene and Springfield, the MWMC recently issued our 2020 Certificates of Environmental Compliance to 26 industries! This award recognizes each recipient’s hard work to achieve 100% compliance with their Wastewater Discharge Permit, to protect each city’s local wastewater system, our regional treatment plant, worker safety, community members, and the McKenzie and Willamette rivers.  
 
A special congratulations to the following industries who have met their discharge limits and earned annual compliance awards for 5+ or 10+ consecutive years:
  • Alsco
  • Emerald Forest Products
  • Farwest Steel Corporation
  • International Paper Company
  • PeaceHealth – RiverBend Sacred Heart Medical Center
  • Rosboro Company LLC
  • Swanson Group MFG. LLC
  • Turtle Mountain LLC (Main Street and Shelley Street)
 
To learn more about the MWMC, City of Eugene, and City of Springfield’s partnership for Industrial Pretreatment, click here. 
Did You Know?
The MWMC treats wastewater according to federal and state permit standards, sending the water through several process steps including the aeration basins pictured here. Treatment is divided into two seasons: summer (May to October) and winter (November to April).

This past winter, we cleaned an average of approximately 38 million gallons of wastewater daily, for a total of approximately 6.9 billion gallons of wastewater during the winter season. Our team at the treatment plant removed an average of 97% of pollutants from the wastewater prior to safely returning the water to the Willamette River. Now we're looking forward to a successful summer season! To learn more about how we clean water, visit mwmcpartners.org.
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