For the Multnomah County Drainage District No.1 (MCDD) in Portland, Oregon, which helps protect lives and property from flooding, robust pumps and trash rakes are essential.
So from what was already a major, time-sensitive equipment upgrade, the all-important deadline suddenly became a challenging journey into the unknown.
MCDD, in conjunction with three other districts, operates and maintains flood management systems for nearly 13,000 acres of land along the Columbia Slough and the lower Columbia River in the US.
These systems include 27 miles of levee, 12 pump stations, and 45 miles of sloughs, streams and culverts – maintaining the river corridor levee system and vitally removing storm water, which protects tens of thousands of jobs and residences, hundreds of acres of parks and natural areas, places of cultural and historical significance, and public infrastructure such as Portland International Airport.
One cannot underestimate MCDD’s level of responsibility to keep all the water moving and under control.
Since its inception in 1917, there have been five major high-water events, with the most devastating being the flood in 1948 that...
Race against time
