Construction of two massive lagoons are on schedule for use this fall to store Port of Morrow reclaimed water and avoid any winter-season use for irrigation.
When operational by November 1, the two lagoons will hold a combined 1.5 billion gallons of water sent to the Port from local food processors, industries and data centers.
The seasonal storage lagoons are located on two of the farms that receive reclaimed water from the Port to irrigate their crops in lieu of using chemical fertilizers.
The lagoons are part of a larger, multi-million-dollar project to improve the Port’s beneficial processing of industrial wastewater for agricultural reuse. Anaerobic digesters are already in place and advance planning is underway for a secondary water treatment system.
Construction of the new lagoons is essential to meeting stricter Department of Environmental Quality requirements that include a ban on winter-season land application of the Port’s reclaimed water.
The lagoon furthest along in construction is being fitted with liners, piping, concrete structures and electrical work. Floating pump barges have been delivered and are being assembled.
The second lagoon is in the earthwork phase, with approximately 70 percent of excavation and embankment construction complete. Once that work wraps up, construction will proceed with liner installation and other system components.