October 2020 Water Wisdoms Newsletter: Upcoming Poplar Farm Harvest, Meet the Team, Peak Performance Award, & more!

Water Wisdoms | October 2020 Newsletter

Poplar Harvest on Biocycle Farm Slated for 2021

The Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission (MWMC) is preparing to harvest Management Unit 3 (MU3) from its Biocycle Farm in 2021. The MWMC is soliciting input from potentially interested processors, manufacturers, and builders on how to make this our most productive harvest to date.

The Biocycle Farm is a 400-acre plantation of poplar trees on agricultural land in north Eugene. Poplar trees grow rapidly by consuming nutrients in biosolids, a byproduct of the wastewater treatment process that is applied on the farm. After a growth period of up to 12 years, the poplars are harvested and sold in the marketplace to provide revenue to offset operating expenses for the farm, as well as provide a renewable resource for our community. The Biocycle Farm is a sustainable, cost-effective method for recycling biosolids.

Check out our new Poplar Harvest webpage for more information about the process and opportunities for partnership.

Click here or the link above to learn more about the Biocycle Farm and the poplar tree lifecycle.

Meet the Team: Randy Gray, Residuals Supervisor

Our team is hard at work cleaning your water and recycling byproducts of the wastewater treatment process in a sustainable manner each and every day. We're excited for you to get to know the faces, names, and responsibilities of those who make it all happen here at the Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission.

This month, meet Randy Gray, Residuals Supervisor!

How long have you worked for the MWMC?

I have worked for the MWMC/City of Eugene for 27 years at the Biosolids Management Facility.

What does your job consist of?

My job is to manage operations of the Biosolids Management Facility, the Biocycle Farm, and the Beneficial Reuse Site.

What’s your favorite thing about your job?

My favorite thing about my job is the variety of people I get to work with. I have the opportunity to work with peers, customers, the general public, and regulators. It is challenging and rewarding to help keep our programs productive and successful.

What got you interested in wastewater and biosolids management?

Someone told me about the water and wastewater technology program at Linn-Benton Community College, so I checked it out. It looked very interesting, and seemed to have very good employment potential after completion. That is how I became interested and It has proven to be a great decision.

To learn more about the MWMC and our team's work, check out our 2019 Annual Report released earlier this year.

Did you Know?

The Biocycle Farm produces hybrid poplar wood used for building materials, paper products, fuel and energy production, soil amendments, and other applications.

If you've been inside the Springfield City Hall Library Meeting Room, then you've seen some of these wood products in use! The ceiling panels in the meeting room are made from wood harvested from our poplar trees. This installation demonstrates the potential of our Biocycle Farm as a viable source of high quality wood for producing finished products. Want to learn more? Click here.

MWMC Awarded Platinum Peak Performance Award

The Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission was recently awarded a Platinum Peak Performance Award from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) for the 13th year in a row of 100% permit compliance! 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.

UPDATE: Construction Continues on Renewable Natural Gas Upgrade

The Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) project continues to make progress with construction of a renewable natural gas line near the Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant. NW Natural (NWN), in partnership with the MWMC and its contractors, is constructing this pipeline to connect biogas purification facilities and NWN's new receipt point facility on the treatment plant grounds to an existing NWN natural gas transmission line on River Road. Upon project completion, nearly 100% of biogas, a byproduct of the wastewater treatment system, will be converted into RNG that will be injected into NWN's pipeline system and used as a renewable vehicle fuel.

Due to the gas line construction, a portion of the Eugene shared use path around the Wastewater Treatment Plant, along the southwest corner and west side of the facility is currently closed for up to several weeks. A detour is available for bicyclists, pedestrians, and other users of the path, and the closure does not affect the portion of the path connecting to the Ruth Bascom Riverbank Path System. Click here for more information and to view a detour map.

To learn more about the benefits of the RNG project and the construction process, click here. For questions, contact Mark Van Eeckhout or Sharon Olson.

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