Sandy Wastewater Plan: Build a massive pipeline to Gresham

Published 5:00 am Monday, August 4, 2025

Sandy is forging forward toward a goal of connecting a pipe to the city of Gresham to dispose of its wastewater properly.

After a series of interim fixes bought city leadership time, the decision had to be made. A construction timeline is in place, and the city warns there will be a “substantial cost to ratepayers.” But the alternative is just as dire — a similarly expensive upgrade to its system and threats of federal fines.

So the ambitious pipe to Gresham is a go.

Right now, Sandy engineers are studying Gresham’s wastewater system and crafting an Intergovernmental Agreement. The city is also leveraging $5 million from the state to improve its existing pipeline as a preparatory step.

Next will be final designs and permitting. The goal is to begin construction of the pipeline in 2027, with a completion date in 2030.

Wastewater red tape

Sandy faces several regulatory hurdles in wastewater management.

In the 1970s, the state capped the amount of wastewater that could be discharged into the Clackamas River basin to preserve water quality. That means even though the city makes up a tiny portion of those within the basin, there are strict limits on the amount of treated wastewater it can put in.

So, as Sandy continued to grow, several creative stopgaps had to be used to keep from drowning in wastewater.

The city upgraded its wastewater treatment plant with a $31 million investment in 2021-2023 and formed an innovative partnership to provide recycled water to a local nursery. In the summer of 2021, it also received $14.7 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to improve its treatment plant.

But all of that was short-term solutions. Then came another blow.

About a decade ago, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality found the city of Sandy out of compliance with the federal Clean Water Act. That placed a countdown on all of this. Sandy is compelled to find a permanent solution to its wastewater problem. Until that happens, the city is limited in issuing new land use permits for housing and businesses, and could face punitive fines.

Pipeline to the future

Sandy had two potential options that would bring it back within the good graces of the EPA.

The city could either conduct a major renovation of its current system or construct the pipe hookup to Gresham. City leaders decided upon the latter as the most viable solution. Their reasons included:

• A sure way to stay in legal compliance in the future and avoid any potential fines
• Gets Sandy out of the treatment business, removing the need to maintain and operate a complicated system — when the pipe is completed, Sandy will take its wastewater treatment facility offline
• Joins an existing wastewater infrastructure with built-in partnerships (both Fairview and Wood Village contract with Gresham for wastewater service)
• Removes permit restrictions for new homes and businesses
• Gresham’s proximity to other waterways ensures it can continue to discharge treated wastewater even as the region grows

This is going to hit Sandy residents’ wallets. Estimated increases on bills could be 10-14% a year for the next eight years. The overall cost of the project to connect to Gresham is more than $200 million.

The city said it is aware of the financial hardship facing many residents. It is continuing to seek grants and other funding sources to reduce those predicted costs.

To stay up-to-date on the wastewater project, visit ci.sandy.or.us/newsletter/subscriptions