The city of Pendleton’s airport water reservoir is up and running.
Part of a $10.5 million project to improve water pressure and storage on the west side of the city of Pendleton, the new 2-million-gallon welded steel water reservoir took about 18 months to build. The reservoir was filled over the weekend and is now providing additional storage for the city’s gravity water pressure zone.
Improvements at the site also include a new airport water booster pump station that will handle 4,500 gallons of water per minute, allowing for industrial growth opportunities underway at the airport industrial parks. Although the booster pump station was originally planned to begin operating alongside the reservoir, supply chain issues related to electrical equipment have delayed that part of the project. The booster pump station’s main control center – the main electrical cabinet – was ordered in spring 2022 and still has not arrived in Pendleton. Once that final piece of equipment is arrives, the electrical work can be completed and the booster pump station opened. The booster pump station is now expected to go online in September or October.
When both parts of the system are operational, the new airport water reservoir and booster pump station will replace the 1940s vintage booster pump stations and 1970s reservoirs currently serving the area. The enhanced system will provide better water pressure for the area and allow for additional development at the Eastern Oregon Regional Airport.
The project is part of the city’s Water System Master Plan adopted in 2015.
