Opponents of a Surface Water Improvement Project in Bend have delivered a petition to the City Council.
More than a thousand people have signed the petition asking the council to take another look at the project.
Different people are opposing the project for different reasons. Some want to see Bend move to an all-groundwater solution as a way to help restore flows to Tumalo Creek. Others view the project’s nearly 70 million dollar price tag as an unnecessary financial burden.
Those interests have formed a coalition that includes real estate developers, environmentalists and several former mayors, including Allan Bruckner.
He says he believes the decision to pursue the surface water project was made hastily.
“And I think we need to step back and say “hey, let’s impartially analyze this and see if there isn’t a more economical way to do it,” says Bruckner.
The city council is taking a closer look at at least once aspect of the project -- a 25 million dollar water filtration system. Its purpose is to comply with EPA regulations, although recently that agency has signaled it will reexamine those rules.
