Sewer project will make Oswego Lake disappear – briefly

City says only minor inconvenience foreseen as lake will drop 24 feet

By Cliff Newell

The Lake Oswego Review, Jul 29, 2010 (1 Reader comment)

/ COURTESY OF LOIS PROJECT

The last time Oswego Lake looked like this was back in 1962 when the original sewer project was constructed.

Citizens of Lake Oswego will soon be getting a view of Oswego Lake they haven’t had in nearly half a century.

The Lake Down phase of the Lake Oswego Sewer Interceptor project begins on Sept. 8, and the big drop is expected to be about 22 to 24 feet. That is the lowest Oswego Lake has been since the original sewer project was constructed in 1962.

“There are going to be vistas people haven’t seen in 40 years,” said city engineer Joel Komarek.

There will be other side effects, too — like just where the tons of sediment dug up will be placed, possible insect or odor problems, and how much residents on the lake will be affected.

However, LOIS officials believe problems will be kept to a minimum despite the major effort that is going into building a new sewer system for Lake Oswego.

“Our biggest challenges will be our constrained time frame, from September to May 15,” Jane Heiser, LOIS communications director, said. “A lot of work will have to be done in that time.

“Second will be the bypass pumping. We’ve got to keep the old sewer system working while the new one is installed.”

Even with these challenges, Heisler says inconvenience for the public should be quite bearable. For example, for 37 properties along the lake there will only be one day of service interruption, beginning during the week of Aug. 9, in which resin lining will be set in the pipe.

Residents will be asked not to use their toilets, dishwashers or washing machines. Otherwise there is the possibility of lateral sewer lines backing up in their homes.

But help is on the way. The city is sending a fleet of portable toilets to help the residents endure the 24-hour period. Also, Heisler has a good suggestion.

“It would be a good time to take a one-day vacation,” she said.

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