Nobody wants oil or hazardous contaminants in their water, and if a spill were to happen in the McKenzie River, residents would have reason to be concerned.
That’s why the Eugene Water & Electric Board hosted around 50 utility workers, first responders, watershed scientists and environmental agency partners at its annual spill drill at the Trail Bridge Campground on Oct. 15. EWEB coordinates the spill drill training as part of the utility provider’s mission to protect the McKenzie River, which is the sole source of drinking water for more than 200,000 residents in the Eugene metro area.
The spill drill includes the deployment of containment booms into the waterway. These long tubes act as physical barriers, stopping surface contaminants from moving downstream and corral the hazard toward shore. Deployers use a series of ropes to direct the booms as needed across the river. Once contaminants are contained, a skimmer is used to remove the material from the river…