Bridge Creek Pipeline Replacement Project

The Bridge Creek Pipeline Replacement Project replaced two existing parallel pipelines, 12 and 14 inches in diameter, that carry water 10 miles from the Bridge Creek source to Bend’s Water Filtration Facility.

The old pipelines were built in the 1920s and 1950s. Over the years they became fragile, in poor repair, and vulnerable.

The project also included adding screening at the water intake facility to protect fish and new features to control the rate water is diverted, keeping more water for fish in Bridge and Tumalo Creeks. Before this project began, intake facility had not been updated since it was originally built in 1926.

Pipeline construction in Skyliners Road began in March 2014 following the ruling by the Federal Court on February 14, 2014 which allowed the City to construct this section of the pipeline. This portion of the pipeline work was completed in January 2015.

In December 2014, the City received a federal court decision approving the Forest Service Special Use Permit allowing for the City’s continued use of Bridge Creek water, and completion of the construction of the new pipeline.

Construction of the remaining pipeline sections and the intake facility was completed in Spring 2016.

The City of Bend relies on a dual-source system for drinking water. Residents currently get about half of their drinking water from Bridge Creek, located 11 miles west of the city. This water is delivered in pipes through a gravity-fed system. Groundwater (well water), especially in summer months when demand is greater, provides the other half of the water supply.

Why was this project needed?

The City does not have sufficient groundwater capacity to serve the City’s peak demand and long term development needs. Like many cities across the country, Bend is faced with a range of increasing costs related to the water supply. Under pressure from new federal regulatory requirements and an aging infrastructure the city is taking action now to ensure continued access to cost effective, clean, and reliable drinking water for Bend residents and businesses now and for the future.

• The pipes that supplied surface water were built in the 1920s and 1950s, are deteriorating, entangled with tree roots, run through private property, and are failing. The City experienced two breaks in the 1926 pipeline in one month prior to the beginning of construction.
• The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has issued new drinking water regulations that require treatment of surface water by October 2014. This means that the City is required to build a new treatment facility for the water that comes from Bridge Creek. The City of Bend is seeking to develop a revised compliance schedule with the State, which may allow the City to delay investment in a water treatment plant and reduce upfront costs. You can read about the USEPA Total Coliform Rule and revisions on the EPA website.