South Portland-Burlingame Sewer Project

Sewer and Stormwater

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Environmental Services is constructing a project in the South Portland and South Burlingame neighborhoods that will repair approximately 7,108 linear feet of aging public sewer pipes, that are on average 90 years old. This will help protect public health and the Willamette River Watershed.

Construction began in June 2023 and will take up to a year and a half to complete.

On this Page

Project Area

Simplified map of work zones and proposed construction hours in the South Portland - Burlingame Sewer Project — *The graphic above is a simplified map for the South Portland - Burlingame Sewer Project. Please note - the map is not up to scale.*

General Schedule

Construction began in late June 2023 and is anticipated until November 2024.

Sign up for updates to see where construction crews will be working, what they will be doing, and for how long at each location.

What's Happening Now?

Construction hours are Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Work may be done on some Saturdays, as well.

All work is weather dependent, and the schedule below is subject to change.

Schedule for April 9-19

NIGHT WORK CONTINUES on S Macadam Avenue south of S Miles Street- Crews will repair the sewer mainline, install a new lateral pipe, and build two new maintenance holes overnight using open trench excavation. Allowable work hours are Monday through Saturday 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. During daytime hours, crews may do preparation for the work.

What's Next

Once work on S Macadam Avenue is complete, crews will move onto the following locations:

S Vermont St west of S Virginia Avenue - Crews will repair the sewer mainline and lateral pipes using open trench excavation.
S Vermont St west of S Corbett Avenue - Crews will excavate two pits to prepare for jack and bore work. They will dig one pit east of Corbett Avenue in the public right-of-way in which they recently removed vegetation. They will dig the other pit on S Vermont Street, west of Corbett Avenue.

What to Expect During Construction

You may see crews working in your neighborhood to prepare for and perform sewer construction. Common activities include inspecting and cleaning sewers, marking the location of utilities, moving equipment and materials to the project area, tree trimming, vegetation removal, setting up traffic control, as well as pipe repair and/or replacement.

The City's contractors take care to keep noise, dust, vibration, odor, traffic delays, parking restrictions, and other potential construction nuisances to a minimum.

Details are available online about pre-construction activities, construction methods, and what to expect during construction. Visit the construction impacts webpage to learn more.

Private Belongings in the Right-of-Way

To construct the sewer extensions, crews will need to access and work in the public right-of-way — specifically between the curb and the edge of the sidewalk up to your property line. Anything belonging to you that is located in the right-of-way may be disturbed by construction, including irrigation systems, hard landscaping (stone, brick, pavers, garden boxes, retaining walls, or other construction materials), soft landscaping (trees, plants, shrubs, flowers, grass, bark, etc.), and other amenities. Please remove any items you wish to keep before crews get there. If the contractor finds items in the right-of-way that conflict with construction, crews will remove and dispose of the items.

If construction disturbs these kinds of items, the city cannot restore or replace them. However, once construction is complete, they will repair or replace sidewalks, driveway aprons, and curbs as needed. The city will also replace topsoil and grass seed in the planting strip, and any street trees that were removed.

Portland Noise Office

Construction work after 6 p.m., before 7 a.m., and all hours on Sundays requires a noise variance from the Portland Noise Office. This project will apply for a noise variance to enable the contractor to work both extended days and weekends.

The Portland Noise Office is in the process of reviewing the noise variance application.

To report noise disturbances, please file using the online noise complaint form, email the Noise Office at noise@portlandoregon.gov, or call 503-823-7350.

We Want to Hear from You

We would like to hear from you about special events, school activities, and community services in the neighborhood that you think may be impacted by this project. Also, we want to know if you have any concerns related to business operations, disability or mobility issues, medical or business deliveries, and proposed night work. Your input will help us minimize construction impacts to your neighborhood. 

We encourage you to:

Project Webpage: Visit this project webpage for details and weekly updates.
Email Updates: To receive email or text message updates for this project, we encourage you to sign up now. Updates provided through our free GovDelivery subscription service 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.
Questions: Call the message line at 503-865-6492, stating that South Portland – Burlingame Sewer Projectis your project of concern. Outreach staff will return your call by the next business day.
Sewer Emergency: In the event of a sewer backup or basement flooding, call the City Maintenance hotline immediately at 503-823-1700. It is staffed all hours and all days, 24/7.

Construction Methods

Environmental Services will use both trenchless and open trench excavation methods for South Portland-Burlingame Sewer Project. Construction methods are noted on the project map. Some will require digging trenches. Others will replace pipes through manholes or access pits to reduce disruption to the neighborhood.

Open Trench: The contractor excavates a trench, installs a new pipe, fills in the trench, and restores the disturbed pavement.
Cured-in-Place-Pipe (CIPP) Lining: Through a manhole, the contractor inserts a flexible liner into the old pipe. The liner hardens, creating a new interior lining.
Pipe Bursting: The contractor pushes a bursting head into the sewer line to break apart the existing pipe while pulling a new pipe into place behind it.
Jack and Bore: The contractor will drill a hole horizontally underground to install a new pipe where one was not one before.

Project Background

The project scheduled for your neighborhood is part of the city’s program to maintain and upgrade the public sewer system. In the early 1900s, when Portland was growing rapidly, the city-built hundreds of miles of sewers. Since most sewer pipes have a lifespan of about 100 years, Portland is now facing an urgent need to modernize its aging system.

Environmental Services has launched a large-scale effort to repair or replace the highest priority pipes throughout the city. Your neighborhood will experience a temporary disruption but will benefit from the improved infrastructure.

The City is replacing aging and deteriorating sewer pipes with modern materials. These materials are more resistant to blockages than the materials used 80 to 100 years ago. The updates will provide a safe, efficient, and reliable sewer system for your neighborhood and the city.

We thank you in advance for your patience and cooperation while we complete this important infrastructure work.