Medford Moves Forward with $302M Wastewater Facility Upgrade

Medford, Oregon- Slayden Constructors, Inc. has been named the Construction Manager / General Contractor for a sweeping upgrade to the Regional Water Reclamation Facility in White City, the City of Medford announced this week.

The plant, located on Kirtland Road, provides wastewater treatment services to more than seven southern Oregon communities, including Medford, Central Point, Eagle Point, Jacksonville, Phoenix, Talent, and the White City area.

The upgrades are in response to a revised permit issued in August 2021 by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. The new permit imposes significantly tighter restrictions on phosphorus and nitrogen levels discharged into the Rogue River, in compliance with the federal Clean Water Act. Current facility infrastructure cannot meet the stricter standards.

The city estimates the cost of the project at $302 million. Funding will come from a combination of sewer revenue bonds and a $148 million low-interest loan through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Water Infrastructure Financing and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program.

In the 2023–25 biennium budget, $19.4 million is earmarked for design, engineering and permitting. An additional $115.9 million is proposed in the 2025–27 biennium budget for final design, project management and the beginning of construction.

To help finance the project, single-family households across the service area have seen incremental increases in sewer treatment rates. Rates rose from $8.90 to $9.79 in July 2023, with additional increases scheduled for July and September 2024, and July 2025. By mid-2025, the rate is projected to reach $13.40.

Under the DEQ’s timeline, the city must submit a final plant design by September 1, 2026. Construction must be completed by September 1, 2028, and full compliance with the permit is required by September 1, 2030.