While the city of Lake Oswego plans to build a new wastewater treatment plant to meet environmental regulations, have a more sustainable long-term facility and make the Foothills area more attractive for redevelopment, the project could require higher utility bills for local residents.
The Lake Oswego City Council plans to consider a utility rate study and a price evaluation for the project at a meeting Tuesday, July 21. The city was negotiating costs with Jacobs, its new contractor, as of last week.
“Because of where we’re at in the negotiations is why tonight we’re not talking about the cost but obviously that is a big component of this project that the public will be very interested to know,” Mayor Joe Buck said at a June 16 City Council meeting.
‘Larger’ rate increases expected
The city has been working on a project to build a new wastewater treatment plant for more than five years and dissolved its previous public-private agreement with EPCOR in 2024 as the city felt at the time EPCOR’s final offer of $674 million to construct the plant was too costly. It has since pivoted to a public financing model and is working with Jacobs to move the project forward. Last year, the city received a $123 million federal loan as part of this effort. The current Tryon Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant in Lake Oswego was built in 1964 and is owned by the city of Portland. The new plant would also be located in Foothills, adjacent to the current site, but is planned to be smaller…