LS5 Sewer Improvements Project

This fall, we’ll begin construction for a public improvement project in south Jennings Lodge, near Meldrum Bar Park. This project is expected to be completed in spring 2025.

Project Overview

We will be repairing sections of roughly 60-year-old wastewater mains. This project is part of our larger Inflow & Infiltration (I&I) Reduction Program.

I&I is a problem where old, damaged pipes become inundated with excess water during heavy rain. Cracks in the pipes allow groundwater to seep in, causing much higher-than-normal volumes to flow through wastewater mains. The sudden influx can overwhelm the treatment plant systems, which can result in raw sewage overflowing into the river.

Replacing faulty pipes reduces the need for frequent, costly “Band-Aid fixes” and protects our precious rivers by keeping raw sewage out.

Project Contact	Phone	Email
Tessie Prentice	(503) 353-4226	tessie.prentice@olws.org

A map showing sanitary sewer lines, easements, and repair segments near a river and park. — The project area in the Glen Echo neighborhood

Potential Project Impacts

We have carefully planned to minimize disruptions, but affected areas may see delays and temporary road lanes during work. During construction, heavy equipment and materials will be in the work area. These areas will be marked with cones and/or caution tape. There may also be some noise and dust during construction hours.

Work crews on site will communicate directly with homeowners about any out-of-the-ordinary impacts.

Project Schedule

Construction will begin in the fall of 2024 and is expected to continue through the spring of 2025. Final trench paving will take place at a later date because it requires warm dry weather.

Schedule Lookahead

This project requires some temporary road closures during work hours. Please watch for detour instructions. On-site crews will work with local residents to for access.

Dates	Work Description	Traffic Impacts
January 20 - January 24	Pipe replacement activity on both La Cour Ct. and Cottonwood St.	Construction on Cottonwood St. may cause some traffic delays; on-site crews to work with residents to maintain access.
January 27 - January 31	Pipe replacement activity on Cottonwood St., and Glen Echo Ave. near intersection with Old Orchard Ct.	For Cottonwood St., follow temporary detour through firelane. Potential minor traffic impacts on Glen Echo Ave.; on-site crews to work with residents to maintain access.
February 3 - February 7	Pipe replacement activity on River Drive Ct.	Because work is happening at the end of the road, traffic impacts should be minimal. On-site crews will work with residents to maintain access.

Private Improvements in Public Right-of-Way

In some locations, crews must work outside the public right-of-way in areas called easements or within undeveloped public right-of-way. Work crews will coordinate with homeowners with easements in or near their property.

Using New Technology to Deliver Efficiency

As your water provider, we seek the most fiscally responsible methods to fortify our infrastructure and deliver exceptional service.

A metallic pen tip and a beige pen cap are aligned, ready to connect.

For this project, we will primarily use the pipe-bursting method to replace faulty portions of existing mains. Pipe-bursting is a less costly and less invasive alternative to traditional methods because it is trenchless. While traditional methods require a trench to be dug to remove the damaged section of the pipe, with pipe-bursting, a special machine pulls a new pipe through the damaged section, breaking it open.