PNCWA2025 Conference ToursPNCWA2025 will offer 6 tours this year! CEUs have been submitted for the tours.
New this year! Save your spot on a conference tour by registering - more info coming soon!
Oregon Convention Center Stormwater Management September 15, 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. The Oregon Convention Center has long held a leadership role in green building and other environmentally responsible business practices. In 2004, we were the first convention center to earn the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) for Existing Buildings certification. In 2014, we reached our biggest milestone by earning LEED® Platinum, the highest level of certification, and did it again for our recertification in 2023. We are also proud to be recognized as a Salmon-Safe certified venue and have an award-winning rain garden on the south end of our building which filters and cleans water before it enters our waterways. This behind the scenes tour with OCC’s staff will take a look at some of our primary sustainability features including our rain garden, 2 MW rooftop solar array, and innovative back of house recycling and waste diversion program.
Carlie Creek Water Quality Facility September 15, 2:00 - 4:30 p.m. Since December 18, 2018 the innovative Carli Creek Water Quality facility has been filtering harmful pollutants from stormwater runoff from surrounding industrial properties before it reaches Carli Creek and the Clackamas River, the drinking water source for nearly 400,000 people in Clackamas County. The facility is made up of a meandering channel with pools along nearly 1,700 linear feet of Carli Creek. There are 61 large wood habitat structures for fish and other aquatic wildlife, a backwater channel, floodplain enhancements, and diverse native species planted. The facility is a constructed wetland and contains stream restoration elements. Sturdy walking shoes recommended. Dress for the weather and bring water. Please note there is no restroom on site.
Swan Island CSO Pump Station September 16, 8:00 - 11:00 a.m. BES operates the 220-mgd Swan Island CSO Pump Station (SICSO) as part of the combined sewer overflow (CSO) program to manage CSO flows to the Columbia Boulevard Wastewater Treatment Plant (CBWTP). The SICSO serves as the terminus of two large CSO conveyance and storage tunnels deep beneath the City of Portland (in excess of 120 feet underground), designed to collect and store over 100 million gallons of combined sewage. The pump station consists of a 135-foot diameter circular cast-in-place, 150-foot deep below grade concrete structure, located adjacent to the Willamette River.
Stormwater Stewardship & Portland Water System Education Event September 16, 8:00 - 11:45 a.m. The PNCWA Stormwater Committee is partnering with the City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) to host a stormwater stewardship and Portland water system education event. The stewardship will begin with an introduction to Green Streets, stormwater swales, and stormwater retention ponds near Powell Butte Nature Park. The attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the stormwater systems and conduct stewardship activities. Stewardship activities include pruning blackberry bushes and shrubs, removing sediment, light weeding, and trash pick-up. Tools will be provided. Participants are encouraged to bring their own gloves, especially if they want leather gloves for working with blackberry bushes. After one hour of stewardship activities, participants will be led on a 1 mile hike up Powell Butte. Afterwards, Portland BES will present on the City of Portland's water infrastructure and water system. Light refreshments will be provided during the presentation. Sturdy shoes, work gloves, and water bottle recommended.
Secondary Treatment Expansion Project (STEP) Facility Tour September 16, 1:15 - 4:00 p.m. Since 2022, PNCWA Attendees have heard about CBWTP’s Secondary Treatment Expansion Program (STEP), the City’s largest investment in it’s resource recovery plant since the Clean Water Act when secondary treatment was first added. The project stemmed as the final action required from a 2011 Mutual Agreement and Order coming on the heels of the last “Big Pipe” being installed to control and minimize Combined Sewer Overflows in the Willamette River. The core regulatory requirement of the project aimed to add secondary treatment capacity during wet weather events, which would otherwise be treated via chemically enhanced primary treatment. However, the CBWTP being such a constrained site with many adjoining needs, BES adopted a programmatic approach starting in 2017 to maximize delivery efficiency, minimize risks to plant operation, minimize risks to safety, while maintaining the regulatory schedule. The site tour will showcase the newly built facilities (clarifiers and RAS pump station, aeration basins rehabilitation, utility tunnels and major electrical work, non process facilities) and those remaining in construction, notably the solids handling facilities. A number of lessons learned will be shared from representatives of the partnering teams (City, Engineer, Construction) during the tour. Hard hat, vest, full-length pants, and safety shoes required.
Ecology, Hydrology, and Engineering: An Innovative and Collaborative Pilot Project for Habitat Restoration Through Water Reuse Hosted by our Conference Partner, WateReuse Pacific Northwest September 17, 8 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. The tour will include a comprehensive tour of the Durham WRRF, including the reuse process. After the WRRF tour, participants will tour the reuse pilot project know as Thomas Dairy where CWS is using Class A Recycled Water to enhance ecological function at a degraded urban wetland as a new beneficial use in Oregon. |