Salem, OR. — A weeklong operational test of Salem’s newest water-supply resiliency measure exceeded expectations, delivering more than 23 million gallons of water from the City of Keizer over five days and bolstering preparedness for an upcoming reservoir drawdown that could disrupt the City’s primary drinking water source.
City crews tested a newly constructed pump station connecting the City of Salem’s system with Keizer’s supplies from Jan. 26–30. The first connection was activated Jan. 26, followed two days later by a second intertie to evaluate simultaneous flow rates. By the conclusion of testing, the system had transferred 23.8 million gallons.
“We want to thank the City and residents of Keizer for being our steadfast partners in this effort, and the Salem City Council for supporting our preparations,” said Brian Martin, Salem’s Public Works Director. “These connections, along with other resiliency measures, are essential to ensuring uninterrupted drinking water if we are unable to draw from the North Santiam River during a deep drawdown of Detroit Reservoir.”…