Ashland, Medford wastewater too warm
State requirements for fish leave cities in violation
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The onus soon will be on Ashland and Medford to cool the treated outflow from their wastewater treatment plants so spawning salmon can thrive in Ashland Creek and the Rogue River.
Both treatment plants likely will find themselves in violation of changing permit requirements from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and will have to come up with a plan to reduce temperatures of the treated wastewater they release.
Ashland faces the biggest problem, because the 2 million gallons a day it pumps out sometimes amounts to more than the normal flow of Ashland Creek, which can raise the water temperature 2 to 6 degrees.
Medford's regional treatment facility produces just a small portion of the flow into the Rogue River and raises the temperature only a fraction of a degree.
The DEQ is under pressure from the federal Environmental Protection Agency to force the cities to comply with the standards as soon as possible, rather than allowing them a lot of time to come up with a plan.
"It does put the cities in an unfortunate situation," said Jon Gasik, water quality engineer with the Department of Environmental Quality.
However, both cities have known for some time that they won't meet the new water temperature standards, he said.
Permit deadlines have passed for Ashland and Medford but both cities are awaiting details on the new requirements from the DEQ, which they expect to be available sometime this year.
Ashland has come up with a number of options to deal with the warm temperatures, none of which has been approved by the City Council.
A consultant hired by the city, Carollo Engineer of Portland, recommended that the treatment plant install a geothermal system that would cool water down by pumping it underground. The cost for the proposed project is estimated at $2.6 million.
Another possibility is using an evaporative cooling tower at a cost of $1.6 million.
Other options include pumping into the Talent Irrigation District, which could generate water rights issues. That alternative could cost $1.6 million, Carrollo estimates.
A fourth alternative would be to pipe the water to Lithia Park, Southern Oregon University, the golf course and other municipal green areas. That option is the most expensive at $11.7 million, but would have the added benefit of reducing Ashland's water consumption. Any option that directs the water away from the creek, however, would have a significant impact on the streamflow in dry months.
Cory Crebbin, Medford's public works director, said the outflow from the treatment plant raises the Rogue River's temperature a fraction of a degree for only about two weeks in October.
The plant adds 17 million gallons a day to the Rogue River, which has about 650 million gallons flowing during October.
Crebbins said the city is leaning toward storing water as the most cost-effective way of handling the temperature problem, but specifics and costs are still being worked out.
Before the city can come up with a plan, Crebbin said, it will need more details from the DEQ.
Terry Ellis, Ashland's public works director, said he hopes the city gets additional time from the DEQ to find a solution.
The city will soon embark on a two-year master plan to assess its water needs. However, Ellis said, the city may have to devise a plan to deal with the increased wastewater temperatures before the master plan is completed.
While the option of using treated wastewater to irrigate Lithia Park and other areas in the city appears the most expensive, Ellis said it could reduce the city's peak demand for drinking water, he said.
Ellis said the wastewater is treated to such a high level before it is discharged that heavy metals and phosphorous levels are negligible.
He thinks that many ideas will come together to create a solution, such as possibly a cooling tower and reservoirs to store and cool water.
"I don't think there is going to be one single answer," he said.
Ron Roth, owner of Eagle Mill Farm, already uses the treated wastewater in part on his farm. He draws water from Bear Creek, which is fed upstram by Ashland Creek.
He said he's seen no problems and questions that the increase in temperature along a quarter-mile stretch of Ashland Creek is having any adverse impact. He said he's walked the creek many times and observed plenty of fish.
"It's just absurd that it is somehow a spawning issue," he said. "It would pretty dumb to spend millions of dollars for a non-problem."
Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail dmann@mailtribune.com.
