Why did the City adopt a moratorium?

For years, our treatment plant has not been able to consistently treat the high volume of sewage and stormwater that flows to the plant, especially during wet weather. This leads to permit violations and intermittent pollution of Tickle Creek, which is a small tributary to the Clackamas River. 

Under the Clean Water Act, these violations could result in large fines for Sandy.  The City is under enforcement proceedings from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and the United States Environmental Protection Agency to complete the improvements and increase the capacity and performance of the City’s treatment plant. 

This moratorium will help us avoid further violations while the system upgrades are being completed.