EWEB Breaks Ground on Emergency Water Station Near New YMCA Campus
The station will tap groundwater for use during an emergency; the Y next door can shelter/feed people after a disaster.
Eugene, Ore. – The Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB) is building an Emergency Water Station in Amazon Park just south of the new Eugene Family YMCA’s Don Stathos Campus. Work on the station began last month and will be completed by early summer. A public demonstration will follow.
Contractors will navigate to the site through an access point in the southwest corner of the YMCA parking lot. The first phase of the project includes the installation of a new concrete pad, utilities, and backup power. Phase two includes piping, trenching and equipment installation. Most construction will be localized to a small section of Amazon Park. Later in the project, a section of park sidewalk will be temporarily rerouted to allow for pipeline tie ins. A handful of parking spots will be used in the Y’s lot during construction.
This Amazon Park Emergency Water Station is the sixth such site built and operated by EWEB. Each site includes a well and submersible pump to pull water from deep underground for use during an emergency, like the Cascadia Subduction Earthquake, which could damage the pipeline network that delivers water to homes.
“We are thrilled to expand our Emergency Water Station program with the addition of this Amazon Park location,” said Nathan Endicott, EWEB Staff Engineer and Project Manager for the effort. “Each station represents a key step in increasing our community’s water resiliency.”
The station’s proximity to the YMCA is an added benefit. The Y, built to the highest seismic standards, can shelter people, feed people from a commercial-grade kitchen and stay powered with a generator after a large-scale disaster, such as a major earthquake.
"EWEB’s Emergency Water Station is a critical addition to the south Eugene region and this new key emergency hub,” said Brian Steffen, CEO of the Eugene Family YMCA. “We anticipate supporting the community by partnering with EWEB for emergency preparation programs as well as after a natural disaster.”
In the event of a disaster, EWEB will mobilize at all Emergency Water Station sites. Residents in need of water should bring a container to fill and disinfect water before use.
Residents are encouraged to memorize the location of the Emergency Water Station nearest their home. EWEB also urges residents to join their Pledge to Prepare Program to prep for extended, emergency-related outages of water or electric service.
The Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM) advises Oregonians to become “2 Weeks Prepared.” This means having a plan and enough food, water and supplies to survive for at least two weeks following a large-scale disaster. EWEB’s Pledge to Prepare Program makes it easy and affordable for residents to gather needed supplies.
EWEB will host workshops on its Pledge to Prepare Program at the Y later this spring.
More information about Emergency Preparedness can be found on the EWEB website at https://www.eweb.org/outages-and-safety/preparing-for-emergencies
