SW Patrick Place Sewer Project

Sewer and Stormwater
Active
Environmental Services has constructed a project to install a new sewer cleanout and repair approximately 113 feet of an 80-year-old public sewer pipe in the Healy Heights neighborhood. The project aims to reduce flooding on private property, as well as protect public health and the environment.
Construction began in Summer 2023 and is anticipated to be complete before the end of December 2023.
On this Page

Project Area

The project location is located onSW Patrick Place. Sewer pipe repair work and terminal cleanout services will be performed west of SW Patrick Way and north of SW Council Crest Drive. 

Map of SW Patrick Place Sewer Project Area
The graphic above is a simplified map for the SW Patrick Place Sewer Project. Please note the map is not up to scale.

General Schedule

Construction began in Summer 2023 and is anticipated to be completed before the end of December 2023.

What's Happening Now?

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

The Rest of this Week

Construction will occur during work hours between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday through Friday at SW Patrick Place: 

  • Mainline sewer replacement: Crews will continue with mainline sewer repairs and install cured-in-place-pipe patches (CIPP).
  • Pipe cleaning and inspection: Once sewer repairs are completed, crews will further inspect newly installed sewer cleanout. Final video inspection will confirm fixed piping and results of terminal cleanout.
  • Paving: Surface and paving restoration to be completed by December 20.
  • Demobilization: All construction activities will come to a stop. Crews will clean up work zone by removing of all equipment, machinery, and signage.

This project is expected is to close out promptly on December 22.

2023 Holiday Construction Moratorium: If intermittent construction is needed, work will resume briefly in the new year. Due to the winter holiday season, construction work in the City of Portland is restricted and cannot be performed from December 25 to January 3, 2024.

Construction Methods

Environmental Services will use a combination of the following construction methods to make sewer repairs and raise one maintenance hole to the surface, to access it and pull lining through piping:

  • Cured-in-Place-Pipe Lining (CIPP): The contractor inserts a flexible liner into the existing pipe through a maintenance hole. The lining material hardens to restore the interior without needing to dig big trenches.
  • Open Trench Excavation: Traditional method of sewer construction and the most common method for replacing a sewer pipe, especially if the original pipe needs to be upsized.
  • Sewer Cleanout Installations and Vactor Excavation: A sewer cleanout is a capped opening above the sewer service lateral that connects a property or a building to the mainline public sewer. It provides access for future maintenance to enable crews to clean and repair that connection. 
  • Spot Repairs: May be necessary to replace small sections of broken sewer pipe where it is not necessary to repair or replace the entire pipe. 

Please visit the webpage to learn more details and access photos about sewer construction methods.

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.
  • Work Hours—Work hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. 
  • 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.
  • 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. Please stay away from them.
  • Maintained Service—You can still use sewer, water, and other services while we work on your street.
  • Schedule Changes and Inactivity—Our 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.

Please obey all traffic control signs and follow the directions of flaggers.

We Want to Hear from You

Environmental Services will inform residents and businesses about project activities and respond to questions and concerns in a timely manner. The following resources will help you stay informed and report concerns:

  • Project Webpage: Visit this webpage for details and weekly updates.
  • Questions: Call the message line at (503) 823-5759 or email outreach staff, stating that SW Patrick Place is your project of concern. Outreach staff will return your call or email 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.
  • Other Downtown Sewer Projects: For a list and maps of other downtown sewer projects, visit the program webpage

Sign Up for Updates

We encourage you to sign up now for periodic email or text messages for this project. 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.

Project Background

The project pipe at SW Patrick Place is failing and has required numerous special cleaning and maintenance to remain active in its current state. This project will protect the public and the environment by reducing the possibility of sewage releases to homes, businesses, and streets.   

This project will help protect the health of the Willamette River Watershed.