Wastewater Collections and Treatment

The Wastewater Treatment Facility is located on Jetters Way in Stayton. It treats all the wastewater received from residential commercial and industrial customers via the collection system pipe network. The wastewater collection system carries sanitary sewerage from sinks, tubs, toilets, and other household and commercial building drains to the Wastewater Treatment Facility.

The collection system is made up of pipes of various sizes ranging from the 4-inch diameter residential service line to the 24-inch interceptor line that discharges into the wastewater treatment facility.

Stayton's wastewater personnel strives to protect the health and safety of residents by safely transporting sewage to the Wastewater Treatment Facility for processing.

This job requires the routine inspection, maintenance, and cleaning of over 35 miles of pipeline and nearly 650 manhole structures.

The City operates 4 pump stations to move waste across the area for treatment. Tours of the Wastewater Treatment Facility are always available by appointment. You can schedule a tour by calling (503) 769-2810.

  • Stayton’s Exceptional Quality (EQ) Class-A Biosolids are available for pick-up by appointment on weekdays year round.

    EQ Class-A Biosolids are excellent to use as a fertilizer, solid amendment (builder or conditioner), mulch, or as a potting medium. They are not made from livestock manure or yard debris; free of pathogens; heat cured in a temperature controlled dryer; digitally monitored and laboratory tested; and designated EPA EQ Class-A status “for use without restriction” (CRF40-503).

    To schedule an appointment, or if you have questions, contact Danielle Emmert at (503) 769-2810.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • Problems with the sanitary sewer system (the collection system) and also the storm sewer system (surface drainage water) should be reported to the Public Works Department.

    If the problem is only with one fixture (sink or toilet), it is likely that the problem is in the private system and  you should contact a plumber. If there is a problem with the entire building or home you should check with adjacent buildings to see if they too are having problems. If more than one building is having problems, the the City system is the likely culprit.

    Maintenance of building sewers is the responsibility of the property owner, if a plumber cannot resolve your issue please call the Public Works Department at (503) 769-2919 or if it is an emergency please call (503) 769-3421.

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  • The sewer treatment plant was originally built in the early 1960s and underwent several upgrades over the next several decades but in the mid-1990s it was determined that the current treatment plant was undersized and had reached the end of its useful life. City Council members along with staff determined that building a new treatment plant would better serve the citizens than to try to upgrade the original plant one more time.

    In 1995 construction on the current treatment plant was started and a state-of-the-art plant was built and has served the City well since its inception. However, over the course of 20 years the plant began to show its age and limited capacity and so in 2012 the city council chose to put the plant through a major upgrade.

    The costs of completing these upgrades was taken on as a low interest 40 year loan that is paid back through customer payments over the life of the loan.

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  • NO! You may take all unwanted medications to local pharmacies who will be able to dispose of them properly. Please do not flush medicines down the drain as the treatment facility was not designed to remove these types of chemicals from the water. Medicines that are flushed breakdown in the collection system and end up being sent out to the river causing harm to fish and other aquatic life and to recreational users of the river.

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  • F.O.G. refers to Fat - Oils - Grease produced from ingredients used for cooking and, if dispose incorrectly, is found in pipes from a property all the way to the Wastewater Treatment Facility.

    You may be familiar with how food with fatty oils and cooked with grease can cause cardiac issues, the same true for the vital 'arteries' of the city's infrastructure. F.O.G can start anywhere and based on the amount can become a problem sooner rather than later. The best fix is to prevent take action to reduce or prevent F.O.G. from entering the system.

    F.O.G. is a major contributing factor to issues within the Wastewater infrastructure, causing blockage and overflow. Repairs can be extremely costly for property owners and for the City. 

    The Wastewater Treatment Facility is designed to process things like biological byproduct and F.O.G. (to a certain extent). This is done by utilizing organisms to help break down of F.O.G. through a natural and effective method. However, because they are organisms they operate within an ecosystem and adding more organisms is not a viable solution when a problem arises. This means if the amount of F.O.G. exceeds the estimated inflow or an unprecedented elements like harmful chemicals, enter into the system the organism can't keep up and their numbers will diminish.

    The facility is a sturdy piece of engineering technology, but the system is based on analysis, estimation, and action which all work together for a fine balance to keep all the systems running smoothly. We ask that everyone is mindful of the effect of F.O.G and that the community does their part to keep harmful elements from entering the Wastewater pipeline and continue to invest in Stayton's infrastructures.

    How to dispose of F.O.G.?

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