Environmental Services is planning a project to replace about 30,000 feet of deteriorating sewer pipe at several locations in the Grant Park Neighborhood. The City of Portland installed many of the sewers before 1920.

Construction will begin in spring or summer 2014 and the project will take about a year to complete. The work is part of a citywide program to replace aging sewer pipes. Over one-third of Portland’s 2,500 miles of sewer pipes are more than 80 years old. Projects to replace or repair aging sewers are important for protecting water quality, public health, and the environment.

Project Design 2013

Environmental Services is surveying and inspecting sewer pipes as part of the Grant Park Sewer Repair Project design. Work crews usually access sewers through manholes in streets. During survey work, you may see crews in the field and temporary markings on pavements indicating different underground utility locations, including the sewer lines.

Over the next few months, city staff will communicate with residents and businesses that may be directly affected by sewer construction. Engineers will use the information gathered to determine construction techniques to complete the work and minimize impacts to the public.

What To Expect During Construction in 2014

Engineers haven’t yet identified all the sewer lines to be replaced in the project area (see project map). The city will select a contractor next year and the contractor will use the construction techniques the city specifies in project design. Open-trench construction and pipe-lining are both possible techniques. Environmental Services will continue to update neighbors as design continues.