Shainwald v. City of Portland

55 P.2d 1151, 153 Or. 167, 1936 Ore. LEXIS 103
CourtOregon Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 4, 1936
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 55 P.2d 1151 (Shainwald v. City of Portland) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Oregon Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Shainwald v. City of Portland, 55 P.2d 1151, 153 Or. 167, 1936 Ore. LEXIS 103 (Or. 1936).

Opinion

*170 BEAN, J.

The city of Portland is located near the junction of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, the older business section being west of the Willamette river and the larger residential area to the east on the peninsula between the two rivers.

Sewers have been constructed and extended from time to time, using the deepest and most direct outlets into these two streams. At present there are 59 individual sewer outlets into the Willamette river and the Columbia slough, a flood channel of the Columbia river. All sewers are on the “combined” system, carrying storm waters as well as sanitary sewage. The Willamette river in its low-water flow, occurring in July to September, is only about 4,000 cubic feet per second. *171 The minimum flow of the Columbia river is-.about 60,000 cubic feet per second, but due to characteristics of its watershed this low flow comes in the winter months. During the summer season the discharge of the Columbia river is 100,000 to-120,000 cubic feet per second. Due to the sewage wastes of the city, added to the waste contributed by other up-river communities, the Willamette river is now and has been for.years past seriously polluted. During low-water, stages the oxygen falls below that desirable for support of fish life, and the presence of sewage is now, and has been for years, visibly apparent. The Columbia river absorbs all evidence of sewage pollution below the junction of the Willamette river. The only objectionable condition on the Columbia river side of the peninsula is in the Columbia slough, which is a small channel a short distance from the main river. For many years past the attention of the city and its council has been repeatedly called to the necessity of constructing a system of intercepting sewers to relieve the pollution in the Willamette river. The council was advised that the existing pollution of the Willamette river is not only detrimental to the public health of the city but is also detrimental in the-following respects: (1) Danger to fish life; (2) danger to abutting property; (3) a reduction in recreational value of the Willamette river. Studies and various sanitary surveys have been made by engineers.

On or about June 26, 1933, it was deemed by the council to be an opportune time to inaugurate proceedings for the construction of a sewer system by reason of the fact that the legislature had adopted chapter 289, Oregon Laws of 1933, supplementing the charter powers, and Congress had enacted legislation providing for the loaning of funds at a low rate of interest for such *172 projects, as well as providing a grant. On June 8,1933, there was presented, filed and adopted by the council, plans and specifications and a maximum cost estimate for a proposed sewage project, treatment plant and appurtenant facilities, as disclosed by Exhibits 1 and 2 attached to the answer. The first part of Exhibit 1 discloses what is contemplated by the plans and specifications. The type of treatment is given, the place where intercepting sewers are to be constructed, an explanation of the general flow sheet and storm water flow, and a statement of the proposed construction of intercepting sewers. As a sample of the specifications we quote the following:

“From the detritors the sewage will flow to three 150' x 150' mechanical clarifiers, also known as traction clarifiers, having a side-water depth of ten feet in each case, in which approximately 60 per cent of the suspended solids would settle. The settled sludge of approximately 95 per cent moisture, together with the skimmings from the clarifiers, will be pumped to the 50' x 8' sludge thickening tank. The effluent from the primary clarifiers will then enter thirty-seven aeration tanks, each 14'x 14'x 300' long.”

Also, as a sample of the specifications, we quote:

“Excess sludge will be wasted to a 50' x 8' sludge thickening tank, and after processing, would be pumped into the primary digestion tanks of which there will be not less than three nor more than six, each eighty-five feet in diameter by twenty-four feet depth. After not less than ten days nor more than twenty days digestion period in these tanks, the sludge will flow to not less than six nor more than twelve eighty-five feet in diameter by twenty-four feet depth secondary digestion tanks for between twenty and forty days digestion, giving a total of not less than thirty nor more than sixty days digestion, with which period approximately 63 per cent of the volatile solids will be reduced.”

*173 There is attached to the statement a diagrammatic flow sheet for a proposed activated sludge sewage treatment plan and a map showing a sewage treatment plant and intercepting sewers. There was a general estimate given of the cost, fixed at $6,000,000. As delineated on the map, the sewage flow is to be intercepted on both sides of the Willamette river, namely, from the southerly city limits along the east bank of the Willamette river to Junction “A”, thence across the river to Junction “B” joining the west bank interceptor, coming also from the southerly city limits and continuing to Junction “C”. As shown on the map, an interceptor is to be built along the east bank of the Willamette river from the point marked “O” northerly and easterly to the Peninsula Drainage Canal, also known as the Columbia slough, following said Peninsula Drainage Canal to Junction “D” of the interceptor coming westerly along said Peninsula Drainage Canal from point “Q”, thence continuing southwesterly in Carey Boulevard, under the Willamette river to Junction “C”, thence northerly to Plant No. 1, together with such booster pumping plants as will be determined, not exceeding six in number. The map or plan is attached to the specifications, which furnished information to the electors as to the general plan of the intercepting sewage plant.

On June 8,1933, the council adopted resolution No. 20691, thereby submitting to the voters the question of whether the city shall avail itself of chapter 289, Oregon Laws 1933, and the inducements held out by the United States government and construct disposal facilities that will eliminate the use of the Willamette river for sewage, and pay the cost by the issuance and sale of self-liquidating bonds in an amount not exceeding $6,000,-000, the principal and interest of the bonds to be paid *174 from charges imposed for the services extended to the employment and use of the sewage disposal facilities and not to he paid by general taxation. On the same date the council enacted ordinance No. 64461, calling a special election for Friday, July 21, 1933, the date of a state election, for the purpose of submitting the question to the voters under the provisions of the resolution. The special election was held and the resolution was adopted by a majority vote of the electors, authorizing the issuance of the bonds and the construction of the sewage disposal plant.

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Bluebook (online)
55 P.2d 1151, 153 Or. 167, 1936 Ore. LEXIS 103, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/shainwald-v-city-of-portland-or-1936.