2025 West Best Projects
Award of Merit, Water/Environment: La Pine Water and Wastewater Systems Improvements (WWSI) Project
La Pine Water and Wastewater Systems Improvements (WWSI) Project
La Pine, Ore.
Award of Merit
Submitted by Taylor Northwest
Owner City of La Pine
Lead Design Firm/Civil Anderson Perry & Associates Inc.
General Contractor Taylor Northwest
MEP Engineer Electro Tech Engineering Inc.
Subcontractors Tri County Paving; McKenzie Cascade; Anderson Erosion Control; T-Bailey; Abbas Pump; Mikes Fence; Cascade Civil; Stadeli Boring & Tunneling; On the Fly Plumbing
For decades, the city of La Pine faced a critical public health and environmental challenge due to widespread reliance on aging and failing septic systems. Groundwater studies also revealed high nitrate levels in residential wells, a direct result of septic tank drain fields located near shallow wells.
In response, the city kicked off a $37.1-million decade-long effort to replace septic systems with a centralized sewer system and to install new potable water infrastructure. The project resulted in nearly 300 properties connecting to the city’s municipal sewer and water systems.
Comprehensive scope included improving the existing wastewater treatment facility with a new 20-acre effluent storage lagoon, irrigation pump station and two 100-acre center irrigation pivots. Crews also built a 500,000-gallon welded steel water storage reservoir with well pump improvements and installed transmission and collection systems across two neighborhoods.
Unanticipated cultural artifacts regularly appeared during construction, but rather than letting discoveries derail the schedule, crews remained flexible and shifted to other areas while artifacts were recovered.
