The 16th Street distribution waterline is the main supply line that distributes water to a network of smaller water distribution piping serving the a large residential area on the north slope of Astoria, including Columbia Memorial Hospital, the City's waterfront, downtown and the Port of Astoria. The present distribution waterline includes ~1,400 feet of 18-inch cast-iron pipe; ~900 feet of the existing pipe is located within a tunnel completed in 1895 at a maximum depth of ~110 feet. In the waterline's current location, the line is difficult to access and cannot be safely maintained by modern safety standards. 

In the City's April 2021 Water System Master Plan, the City identified the need to upgrade the waterline as a priority to ensure the availability and delivery of safe drinking water to our residents and the public into the future and to avoid a dramatic loss in service to a large area of the City for an extended period of time. 

In May 2022, Council authorized a grant agreement with the Oregon Business Development Department (OBDD) to accept an allocation of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds for this project in the amount of $2,790,000. Funding includes design and construction costs for the project. At that time, Council also authorized staff to solicit Statements of Qualifications (SOQ) from qualified engineering firms.

In March 2023, Astoria City Council approved execution of a contract with HDR Engineering for design engineering services in the amount of $647,326. In November 2023, Council approved use of the Construction Manager/General Contractor (CM/GC) method of procurement to allow selection of a contractor using criteria that includes the contractor’s qualifications and experience in addition to relative costs. The City selected Emery and Sons Construction Group as the CM/GC. A Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) was negotiated between the City and Emery and Sons in the amount of $2,666,082.19. Additional funding in the amount of $887,247.00 has been committed to the project from the City's remaining balance in the ARPA Fund (#130) and the Public Works Improvement Fund (#176) to account for the increased construction scope and increases in costs between the time the project cost was estimated and current costs.

The 16th Street Distribution Waterline Project will replace ~1,000 feet of the waterline with a fused 24-inch HDPE pipe that will be seismically resilient and significantly reduce the risk of failure for water supply to its service area. A pressure-reducing valve (PRV) assembly will also connect two pressure zones adjacent to the project to reduce impacts to the water distribution system during the project and add resilience to the water system after the project is complete.

PRV construction is anticipated to begin in March 2025. Waterline construction is anticipated to begin in July 2025 and to be complete in the Fall.