Residents of Pendleton and surrounding areas may feel a shake on Thursday, May 26.
Between 2-4 p.m. Thursday, May 26, Aggregate Resource Drilling will be performing a test blast at the site of a new water reservoir and booster pump station near the Eastern Oregon Regional Airport.
During the project, crews will be blasting and drilling 3-inch diameter boreholes to depths between 6 and 19 feet, and the May 26th test blast will demonstrate the project will not produce ground vibrations or airblasts that exceed set limits. The test blast will occur within the limits of the reservoir excavation, but it may be felt in other areas of the city. The results of the test blast will help crews determine additional needs: Between 2-4 additional blasting events will occur in the month of June, and additional notices will be provided once specific dates are determined.
The blasting is one of the first stages of construction of the Airport Water Reservoir & Booster Pump Station Project, part of a $10.5 million project to improve water pressure and storage on the west side of the city of Pendleton. The controlled blasting and rock excavation make way for a new 2 million gallon welded steel water reservoir. The new airport reservoir will provide additional storage for the city’s gravity water pressure zone, in addition to serving as storage for the airport pressure zone.
Improvements at the site also include a new airport water booster station on the reservoir site. The new booster pump station will handle 4,500 gallons per minute, allowing for industrial growth opportunities underway at the airport industrial parks.
The project is part of the city’s Water System Master Plan adopted in 2015. When complete, the project will replace 1940s vintage storage reservoirs and booster pump stations, provide better water pressure for the area, and allow for additional development at the Eastern Oregon Regional Airport.
