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Label:
Sewer and stormwater
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Active
In early December 2026, Environmental Services will begin construction on a stormwater management project in the Portsmouth neighborhood to reduce pollutants entering the Columbia Slough. This project is part of a larger effort to improve the water and sediment quality in the Columbia Slough.
Construction is expected to begin in February 2027 and take just over a year complete.
Project Background
In the Portsmouth neighborhood, rainwater runoff carries sediment and pollutants from streets into storm drains and underground pipes before ultimately discharging to the Columbia Slough through Outfall 57.
To improve water quality, Environmental Services will install new stormwater treatment facilities that capture, slow, and filter runoff before it reaches the slough. Improvements will include underground treatment structures, such as filter vaults and sedimentation facilities, as well as select green street planters.
These investments will help reduce pollution, improve water quality, support healthier fish and wildlife habitat, and provide long-term environmental and community benefits.
This project is one of several Columbia Slough stormwater improvement projects designed to reduce pollutants entering the watershed. The project was previously known as the Portsmouth Stormwater Project and initially included a larger number of green street planters throughout the neighborhood. Based on community feedback, site investigations, and additional engineering analysis, underground stormwater treatment structures were determined to be the most effective and appropriate solution for many locations within the project area.
As part of the project, 24 curb ramps will be constructed or upgraded. Environmental Services is working with the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) to ensure the ramps meet current Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. These improvements will make neighborhood streets safer and more accessible for everyone.
Project Area
The Columbia Slough Outfall 57 Stormwater Project will include underground stormwater facilities in multiple locations between N Columbia Boulevard to the north and N Newark Street to the south, and between N Geneva Avenue to the west and N Fisk Avenue to the east. Green Street planters will be built along N Columbia Boulevard to manage stormwater in the public right-of-way on the north and south sides of Columbia Boulevard between N Columbia Court and N Fiske Avenue.
Text description of the Columbia Boulevard Outfall 57 Stormwater Project map
What's Happening Now
In the coming months, you may see crews inspecting sewer pipes and maintenance access
holes, locating underground utilities, and marking them with paint or small flags, surveying, and
drilling holes in the street to collect soil and pavement samples. Some investigative activities will require restricting parking and temporarily closing travel lanes. The traveling public should expect minor traffic delays. To learn more about activities that occur during the project design process go to portland.gov/bes/pre‐construction.
Night Work on Columbia Boulevard
Portland's noise code allows construction from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Work outside those hours or on Sundays requires a noise variance from the Portland Noise Office. Due to high weekday traffic volumes, Environmental Services has received a noise variance permit to allow construction work at night and on weekends along Columbia Boulevard between North Portsmouth Avenue and North Fiske Avenue. This work is expected to take up to one month and would occur sometime between November 2026 and September 2027. We will provide additional notification before any nighttime or weekend work begins, including details about the construction activities and the types of noise you may hear.
Construction Method
Crews will use open trench excavation to complete all work. After sewer construction, crews will backfill trenches and apply a temporary asphalt patch. The temporary patch may be in place for several weeks while quality control inspections occur. After all work has met required standards, crews will return to apply a permanent patch.
What to Expect During Construction
You can expect the following activities and impacts during construction:
- A Safe Work Site: We want you to be safe around the work site. Please keep children, pets, bikes, cars, and trucks away from the tools, machines, supplies, and construction workers.
- Noise, Vibration, and Dust: Construction creates noise, vibration, and dust and disrupts normal neighborhood activity.
- Traffic Delays: The work will slow down traffic in your neighborhood. Please read the traffic signs and follow directions from the workers with flags.
- Access to Your Home or Business: You will be able to go to your home or business, but you may not be able to park as close as you would like. We will try to make sure driveways and parking lot entrances stay open. Crew members can help you safely enter or exit your driveway or business parking lot.
- Parking Restrictions: We want you to be safe, so you might not be able to park your car next to workspaces, equipment, or materials. If crews are working directly in front of your home or a business, you may need to park in another place.
- Equipment Storage: Sometimes we will leave tools, machines, and supplies on your street overnight.
- Maintained Service: You can still use sewer, water, and other services while we work on your street.
- Work Hours: Work hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. Sometimes we work on Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Schedule Changes and Inactivity: Work schedules can change for many reasons like weather, traffic, and problems with tools, machines, or supplies. Sometimes we need to stop between different types of work and start again later.
Columbia Slough Restoration and Cleanup Efforts
Since 1993, Environmental Services and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) have studied the Columbia Slough Watershed and worked together to improve water and sediment quality. Studies show widespread, low-level contamination throughout the slough's sediments with a few isolated areas of higher contamination. The City's cleanup approach includes controlling the source of the contaminants, cleaning up the most contaminated areas, and long-term monitoring. By identifying the sources of pollutants and controlling them, less pollution will reach the waterway. Stormwater management projects like the Columbia Slough Outfall 57 Stormwater Project will help with this goal.
To learn more about the Columbia Slough’s history, its development, and current efforts to remediate sediments and restore habitat with these online resources:
• Read more about the Columbia Slough Sediment Program at portland.gov/bes/slough-sediment
• Learn more about the Columbia Slough cleanup on DEQ’s website at ordeq.org/columbiasloughcleanup
• Explore the Columbia Slough’s past and present in DEQ’s storymap on the sediment project. Find it
at portland.gov/bes/slough-storymap
Get Support for your Green Project
Do you have an idea for a green project that will improve your community and the environment. Environmental Services has resources to help keep our watersheds healthy and our rivers and streams clean.
Project ideas include, but are not limited to:
- Planting trees in your neighborhood and encouraging neighbors to join you
- Installing a rain garden or native plants at a place of worship, business, non-profit or school
- Removing pavement and replacing it with trees or plants
- Engaging your community group in watershed education opportunities
To learn more about how we can fund your project, go to the Percent for Green Grants webpage.
We Want to Hear from You
Environmental Services would like to hear from you about special events, school activities, and community services in your neighborhood you think might be affected by this project. Also, we want to know if you have any concerns related to business operations, disability or mobility issues, or medical or business deliveries. Your input will help us design a successful project that minimizes the impact to your neighborhood during construction.
We will inform residents and businesses about project activities and respond to questions and concerns promptly. We encourage you to:
- Visit this project webpage regularly for updates.
- With questions or comments, contact Matt Gough by email or phone 503-823-5352. Please be sure to include your name, property address, and project name (Outfall 57) in your voicemail and email so we can provide you with more details about what to expect in front of your property.
- If your basement sewer backs up or your property or street floods, please report it immediately to the City's Maintenance Operations hotline at 503-823-1700. It is staffed 24/7, all hours and all days.
Sign Up for Updates
Sign up for periodic email or text message updates through our free GovDelivery subscription service. These updates are the best way to stay informed about what’s happening and what to expect. You can also sign up for bulletins on other projects and topics.
This project will help protect the health of the Columbia Slough Watershed.