Bend’s Sewer Plan ready for public review

After two years of study, 22 Sewer Infrastructure Advisory Group (SIAG) meetings, and public outreach that included an extended series of community briefings, SIAG recently recommended a Collection System Master Plan to the Bend City Council. Before the plan is adopted, it’s open for public comment.

SIAG is a 16-member group of diverse citizens from the community who have studied the issues and made recommendations to the Bend City Council about infrastructure project priorities.

SIAG concluded that Bend can successfully and affordably address its collection system capacity needs through phased implementation of the recommended Collection System Master Plan. This plan does not focus on the current expansion project at the existing treatment facility, but does include a long term financial strategy for the overall sewer system.

The plan is now ready for public review and SIAG members are encouraging interested stakeholders to take a look. The document and online comment form are available at www.bendoregon.gov/CSMP. Comments can be submitted through November 10, 2014.

The overall Collection System Master Plan contains six volumes and more than 2,000 pages of information about Bend’s sewer system and the projects that will be completed over the next 20 years. However, “There is a 30-page executive summary that has the important information and it’s easy read,” said Assistant City Manager Jon Skidmore.