COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL | JUNE 25, 2020
| 3A
Cottage Grove Water Treatment Plant Superintendent retiring after 30 years of service
D
uring the past 20
years, Cottage
Grove has had one of —
if not the best — Water
Treatment Plant Superin-
tendents in Oregon, Ray
Pardee.
On May 26, 2000,
Pardee accepted the
Superintendent position,
replacing retiring Super-
intendent Brian Ducker.
Pardee has lead
Cottage Grove’s Water
Treatment Plant through
many changes in the
past two decades. He
oversaw the replacement
of the former Layng
Creek Treatment plant —
which had operated well
past its life expectancy
— with new, cutting edge
state-of-the-art equip-
ment and technology
which produces extreme-
COURTESY PHOTO
ly clean drinking water.
Pardee and the new
Ray Pardee, Cottage Grove’s Water Treatment Plant Superintendent for the
plant have received nu-
past 20 years, is retiring later this month. Pardee was featured in Treatment
merous awards and rec-
Plant Operator (TPO) Magazine in 2017.
ognition from state and
Pardee is a leader in
scores meeting all the
state and assembled one
national water treatment
of the best teams of water safety criteria. In fact, the water treatment. He has
associations.
served on several Water
treatment plant operators most recent inspection
In October 2017, the
was a perfect 100 percent Treatment Plant Associa-
in Oregon.
Row River Water Treat-
compliance score and this tions and State taskforces
Anyone involved with,
ment Plant received an
representing small water
while the plant is under
or who has taken a tour
“Outstanding Perfor-
treatment plant facilities
construction expanding
of the Row River Water
mance Award” from the
throughout Oregon. One
Oregon Health Authority, Treatment Plant, City Res- the treatment capacity
of his most recent task-
Drinking Water Program. ervoirs and the two pump from 4 MGD (million
force involvements was
Pardee’s love for his job, stations can attest to how gallons per minute) to 6
regarding blue-green
MGD.
well these facilities are
strong work ethic, atten-
algae and harmful cyano-
Pardee is retiring June
maintained and operated.
tion to detail and com-
toxins.
30,
after
his
30
years
of
Everything
is
immac-
mitment to providing safe
He made certian Cot-
service to the city in the
drinking water to Cottage ulately cared for with
Water Treatment Division. tage Grove was aware of
Grove’s water users is the nothing out of place.
He has seen and directed new regulations and re-
Many people have com-
reason Cottage Grove
quired testing by the EPA
many changes from op-
has an outstanding Water mented after touring the
erating the former Layng and OHA for treatment
treatment plant that it is
Treatment Plant.
plants with known algae
He worked for and had so clean one could eat off Creek Water Treatment
blooms in their water-
Plant
22
miles
east
of
Cot-
the
floor
of
the
plant.
the support of three Pub-
shed.
Every three months, the tage Grove, to building
lic Works Directors over
and operating the current
Pardee has also been a
City Safety Committee
his tenure as superinten-
4 MGD Pall Membrane
leader in educating Cot-
dent with the city. Pardee performs safety inspec-
tage Grove’s water users
tions of all the city’s facil- water treatment system
directed the construc-
and youth about protect-
ities. The treatment plant at the Row River Water
tion of one of the finest
ing our water source and
has received near-perfect Treatment Plant.
treatment plants in the
conservation of water.
He produces an annual
Drinking Water Quality
Report, is a partner with
the Coast Fork Willa-
mette Watershed Council,
gives educational tours
of the treatment plant to
local South Lane School
District youth, and works
with local partners such
as the United States Forest
Service, Cottage Grove
Ranger District and
the United States Army
CORP of Engineers.
Pardee is passionate
about protecting and
conserving our local water
source.
Lastly, Pardee is
leaving the Row River
Water Treatment Plant
in excellent hands. He
has mentored three very
competent, certified
Water Treatment Plant
Operators with years of
experience.
He hired and trained
each of them instilling
the importance of the
their responsibilities to
the city’s water user by
providing them with safe
drinking water, to pay
attention to details, and
take pride in what they
do making sure every job
done as close to perfec-
tion as possible.
Whether it is mow-
ing grass, maintaining
equipment, or taking
water samples, always do
your best, was Pardee’s
direction.
Pardee has created a
legacy of excellence that
will address the ev-
er-changing regulations
and environmental im-
pacts on Cottage Grove’s
water system.
Milestones:
• July 24, 1990, Pard-
ee was hired by Cottage
Grove in the Water Treat-
ment Production Division
• 1992, Cottage Grove
built a 2 MGD Sand
Filtration Plant at the Row
River Treatment Plant
• 1992, expanded the 1
million gallon reservoir
on Knox Hill to 2 Mil-
lion Gallon and added a
concrete roof covering the
reservoir.
• 2004, Installed new
roof on the 2.3 million
gallon 1954 reservoir.
• 2006, Built the new
Holly Water Pumpstation.
• 2008, Commissioned
the new 4 MGD Pall
Membrane Filtration
Plant at the Row River
Water Treatment Plant.
• 2009, Highlighted in
the Water & Wastes Digest
Plant Profile of the month
for May.
• 2010, Completed tech-
nical assistance to the new
Row River Water Valley
District.
• 2012, OHA awarded
“Outstanding Plant Per-
formance”.
• 2016 Awarded the
“Outstanding Membrane
Plant Award” from the
Northwest Membrane
Operators Association
(NWMOA).
• 2017 Highlighted in
the TPO (Treatment Plant
Operator) June Publica-
tion as Top Performer for
Wa-ter Plants. A nation-
al publication that has
68,317 monthly subscrib-
ers.
• 2017, Completed the
construction of a new
Taylor Avenue Pump
Station replacing the old
Taylor Pump Station and
Cottage Heights Pump
Station.
• 2017, OHA awarded
“Outstanding Plant Per-
formance.”
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