Reservoir Project

The St. Helens Reservoir Project is the City’s plan to build a new 5.0-million-gallon water reservoir that will help keep St. Helens’ water system safe, reliable, and ready for the future. Our community has been operating with aging infrastructure and the loss of a major reservoir, which puts pressure on daily water use, fire protection, and emergency readiness. This project will add much-needed storage, strengthen our ability to respond to emergencies during dry seasons, and ensure that clean, dependable water will continue to be available for residents, businesses, and future growth. It is an investment in the health, safety, and long-term resilience of St. Helens. 

Background

The St. Helens water system is supplied by two Ranney collector wells located to the north of St. Helens in Columbia City. The wells collect water from induced infiltration through shallow alluvial sand and gravel adjacent to the Columbia River.  Water is then pumped to the Water Filtration Facility (WFF), which filters and pumps water into the distribution system. Water is currently stored in one of three active reservoirs – a 2.5 MG reservoir , the 0.2 MG Green Tank and the 0.5 MG Elk Ridge Reservoir. The City’s oldest reservoir, a 2.0 MG Reservoir, located on the same site as the 2.5 MG reservoir, is no longer in use due to significant and unresolved leaks.   

Plans to rehabilitate the existing 2.0 MG reservoir were abandoned in favor of potentially replacing it in its current location with a new reservoir in 2023. However, this project was ultimately abandoned because estimated project costs derived from the 30% design cost estimate were over 200% higher than originally planned. In addition to the significant cost factor, site size constraints would not allow a larger reservoir which would be needed to address the City’s future water storage deficiencies identified in the current Water Master Plan.

With the existing 2.0 MG Reservoir out of service, St. Helens currently faces a water storage shortfall of 0.8 million gallons, which is projected to increase to 2.8 million gallons over the next 20 years. To meet current and future demands, a new reservoir with a  storage capacity of at least 5.0 MG is required.

Reservoir Siting Study

On May 7, 2025 City Council approved a contract with Keller Associates to conduct a Reservoir Siting Study to evaluate potential locations for a new water storage reservoir. An open house for the community to learn about the siting of a new water reservoir was held on November 13, 2025 in the Columbia Rm at the St. Helens City Hall.

The siting study evaluated four potential sites based on: hydraulic performance; geotechnical and seismic considerations; permitting and environmental factors; land use and planning processes; cost and constructability; and stakeholder engagement results.

The site referred to as "Site No. 2", located at the eastern corner of Pittsburg Road and Meadowview Drive, was determined to have the most favorable geologic conditions, strong compatibility with existing water system hydraulics, relatively short pipeline connections compared to the other sites, and the lowest overall anticipated capital cost.

On January 7, 2026, City Council adopted the St. Helens Reservoir Siting Study Report and to authorize City staff to proceed with negotiations to acquire the property identified as Site No. 2 in the Reservoir Siting Study Report, as the recommended reservoir site located at Pittsburg Road and Meadowview Drive.

Project Contact

Want to learn more or share your input? Reach us anytime at reservoirproject@sthelensoregon.gov.