AWWA ACE95276

The City of Cannon Beach is a small community (population 1,270) on the north Oregon Coast. Its primary spring water source must be supplemented during the summer with a surface water supply. This unfiltered surface water source was not in compliance with the State of Oregon's implementation of the Surface Water Treatment Rule (SWTR), so a filtering system was required. The community was concerned that treatment technology be simple but effective, with minimal or no use of chemicals. Given the high quality of the surface water source, the city's engineer, KCM, Inc., recommended slow sand filtration for its simplicity of operation. Following Oregon State Health Division guidelines, the city and KCM conducted a one-year pilot program, followed by design and construction of a slow sand filtration plant capable of treating 1 mgd and with the flexibility to meet the city's future needs.