The Water Resource Recovery Operations & Services Department (WRRD) provides operation, maintenance, and engineering for the four CWS water resource recovery facilities and 44 pump stations. More than 66 million gallons of wastewater per day, on average, are pumped and treated to some of the highest standards in the nation.
The water is then returned to the environment in the Tualatin River or reused for irrigation on golf courses, parks, and sports fields. Solids removed from the wastewater are processed and used as soil amendments on farmland and nutrients are recovered and sold as a premium fertilizer. Digester gas produced in processing the solids is the fuel for cogeneration systems that offset approximately 47% of the electrical energy and 70% of the natural gas energy used by the facilities.
Administration
This program includes senior management who provide policy and strategic planning for growth and regulatory compliance, as well as technical and fiscal management of the department’s operating programs.
Durham
Durham is a tertiary wastewater treatment plant that treats an average annual flow of 21.4 mgd (million gallons per day). This program is responsible for day-to-day operation of the Durham Water Resource Recovery Facility, including process control, and mechanical, electrical, and instrumentation maintenance.
Rock Creek
Rock Creek is a tertiary wastewater treatment plant that treats an average annual flow of 36.2 mgd. This program is responsible for day-to-day operation of the Rock Creek Water Resource Recovery Facility, including process control, and mechanical, electrical, and instrumentation maintenance.
Hillsboro and Forest Grove
Hillsboro and Forest Grove are secondary treatment plants that treat an average of 4.4 mgd and 3.9 mgd, respectively. This program is responsible for day-to-day operation of the Hillsboro and Forest Grove water resource recovery facilities, including process control, and mechanical, electrical, and instrumentation maintenance
Pump Stations
Most of the flow to the water resource recovery facilities is conveyed by gravity pipelines. However, due to topography or distance, pump stations are required to either lift the flow to gravity lines that can transport the flow to the water resource recovery facilities or to directly feed them via force mains. This program is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the pump stations, including mechanical, electrical and instrumentation maintenance.
Biosolids, Reuse, and Fernhill
This program provides resource recovery of outputs from the treatment plants. Solids removed from the treatment plants are stabilized and converted to Class B biosolids, which are land applied as a beneficial agricultural soil amendment. During the summer, approximately 57 million gallons of effluent are utilized for urban irrigation. The Fernhill Natural Treatment System cools the effluent from the Forest Grove Water Resource Recovery Facility before discharge to the Tualatin River, while enhancing valuable wetland habitat in the process.
Treatment Plant Services
This program provides engineering for project delivery and for technology development and research. Project delivery includes facility planning, project design and construction management. Technology development and research includes evaluating and piloting new, innovative treatment processes, sensor technologies, and process control strategies to determine what should be implemented full scale.