The City of North Bend 's Wastewater Treatment Plant is located on airport property just below B.L.M. It is designed to treat 2 million gallons per day of dry weather flows. The plant can handle up to 10 million gallons per day during wet weather.

Currently the treatment plant has average removal rates of 94% of the Biochemical Oxygen Demand and 97% of the Total Suspended Solids that enter the treatment plant. DEQ permit requires a minimum of 85% removal.

Treatment process's include the following:

Preliminary treatment: Rag removal, sediment (sand & rocks etc) removal, flow measurement, chemical addition, and sampling.

Primary treatment: Primary clarification for removal of settleable solids and grease.

Secondary Treatment: Activated Biomass that feeds on organic matter reduces the amount of organic matter in the wastewater and coverts it to a more settleable form.

The activated biomass settles in the secondary clarifiers. In the clarifiers the settled biomass is partially wasted to aerobic digesters and partially returned to the aeration basins to feed on organic matter entering the basins. Clarified water leaves the secondary clarifier and enters the chlorine contact chamber for disinfection prior to discharge into Coos Bay .

Solids Handling:
All wasted sludge and greases are pumped to the aerobic digesters where continued reduction of organic matter occurs. The biosolids are in the digesters for 30 to 60 days then transferred to a 2 million gallon facultative sludge lagoon.
1.2 million gallons of biosolids were hauled and applied to forestland and grazing land last year.

Collection System:
There are 50 miles of sewer lines and 9 pumping stations that carry the used wastewater of the community to the treatment plant.

City Staff perform the following tasks:
High Pressure Cleaning of Sewer Lines
Video taping of sewer lines.
Repair and replacement of sewer lines.
Rodent control.

Treatment Plant:
Laboratory - permit testing and process control testing
Operations & Maintenance of equipment and buildings
Biosolids disposal and application to forest land.
Pretreatment program - monitoring of commercial business'

Waste Water PDF File

Public Works Superintendent Bob Dillard came to work for the City of North Bend in 1982. Currently the Wastewater Division has 7 full time employees and 1 part-time employee that has combined experience of 100 years.

The Wastewater Treatment Plant facility's role within the city operations is to maintain 240,000 feet of infrastructure sewer mains, nine pumping stations, and a two million-gallon per day wastewater treatment plant. The department consists of one lab technician, one maintenance personnel, one operator, and three sewer system and biosolids personnel.

The Wastewater Treatment Department goals are to continue to meet permit limits set forth by the Department of Environmental Quality and the Environmental Protection Agency. To maintain the complete system to limit breakdowns, to continue to improve operations for the purpose of saving money and providing excellent service to the citizens of North Bend.

Mr. Dillard feels that the City Council and City Management has always supported the department to allow them to meet goals set forth by the staff.

You can reach Public Works Superintendent Bob Dillard at 541-756-6078

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