Portlands delayed Back Cove stormwater project to wrap up by next summer [Video]

A stormwater retention project the city of Portland has been working on since 2019 is almost done after more than two years of delays, 10 contract amendments and $1 million in unexpected costs.

The Back Cove South Storage Conduit project is part of an extended effort by the city to reduce the amount of raw sewage and polluted stormwater runoff being discharged into the cove. The project was supposed to be complete by September 2022, but unexpected issues with the soil in the area delayed the work by more than two years, ultimately costing about $1 million more than planned.

The project is funded by wastewater fees, which are based on water usage by homeowners and businesses. In order to build the storage tanks that will alleviate the strain on a dated sewer and stormwater runoff system, the city dug up the soccer field that once sat between the Back Cove trail and Interstate 295 and has …