Repairing and Upgrading Our Water Facilities

Sandy has three sources of water: Alder Creek, Brownell Springs, and Bull Run. Because Bull Run water is purchased from the City of Portland, it makes sense to maximize our use of Sandy's two city-owned sources; especially Alder Creek which has much higher capacity than Brownell Springs.

Unfortunately, the Alder Creek Water Treatment Plant is seriously underperforming its full potential.  As part of the Drinking Water System Reinvestment Project, we’re working to repair and upgrade the facility to increase Alder Creek’s water production from its current 0.9 million gallons per day (MGD) to its full potential of 2.4 MGD.  The specific projects needed to make these upgrades are now being refined as we finalize our new Water Master Plan.

For reference, Sandy’s current average demand for water is 1.33 MGD, with a maximum demand in the summer of 2.59 MGD. By 2050, average daily demand is forecasted to be 2.1 MGD with a maximum demand of 4.2 MGD, depending on Sandy's growth.  

The chart below shows Sandy’s water demand through 2050.  Upgrades to Alder Creek are critical, but with its capacity limitations (even at full production levels), Sandy will need additional water from Bull Run to fully meet demand.