Groundbreaking Event Celebrates Start of Dog River Pipeline Construction
On July 18, 2022, the City of The Dalles project team, Mayor, and Councilors were joined by representatives from the U.S. Forest Service Barlow District, Infrastructure Finance Authority, Port of The Dalles, and other honored guests to celebrate the construction groundbreaking of the Dog River Pipeline Replacement project in Mt. Hood National Forest.
Dog River is a high-quality source for more than 50 percent of the City’s annual drinking water supply. The new Dog River Pipeline is being built to last 100 years or more and will replace 3.5 miles of aging wooden pipeline that has numerous leaks.
The project will:
- Deliver high-quality drinking water for The Dalles
- Improve water efficiency by replacing a leaking water pipeline
- Install fish passage and screening systems at the pipeline intake
The project is the culmination of many years of City effort to improve reliability of the water system. Once complete in fall 2023, the new pipeline will support the City’s goal of continuing to deliver the highest quality water to the community.
The project is partially funded by a $1 million grant and low-interest loans the City secured from the Oregon Drinking Water State Revolving Fund and the Infrastructure Finance Authority.
“Dog River is an essential drinking water supply for our community, but the old wooden pipeline leaks significantly when the river runs high. Building the new Dog River Pipeline is a key step to improve our water-use efficiency and overall system reliability,” said Public Works Director Dave Anderson.
“Starting construction is a big milestone for the project team. The new Dog River Pipeline will play an important role in delivering high-quality drinking water to our community for the next century or more. We’re grateful for all of the partnerships helping make this project a success,” said Mayor Richard Mays.
“I'm super grateful for everyone standing here, everyone involved…. This has always been a number one on my list to get this done,” said Kameron Sam, US Forest Service Barlow District Ranger.
“The big role of the Infrastructure Finance Authority is to help communities like The Dalles get these projects done…. I'm really happy that we have been able to play a really integral role,” said Andrea Klaas, Infrastructure Finance Authority Chair.
To learn more about the project, visit thedalles.org/dogriverpipeline or email dogriverpipeline@ci.the-dalles.or.us to receive occasional updates.