# October 2026 Bend WAG Meeting

The City of Bend Water Advisory Group met on October 13, 2026, to discuss the Outback water facility’s long-term plans and public messaging. Staff described a proposed first phase focused on pretreatment to reduce the risk that wildfire-related turbidity will disrupt surface-water production, plus an in-conduit hydropower system intended to improve energy resilience and potentially generate more than twice the facility’s annual power needs. The group discussed communicating the project’s benefits in terms of water-supply reliability, cost, and environmental impact. Staff estimated pretreatment at just under $50 million and hydropower at just under $10 million, with overlap between the estimates; a fuller cost estimate and allocation among participating agencies are pending an intergovernmental agreement and consultant scoping. No contract award, bid approval, or spending vote was reported.

Staff also reported that the environmental review for approximately 48 acres adjacent to the existing facility was complete, with no finding of significant impact, and that a purchase-and-sale agreement with the U.S. Forest Service was under review. The proposed acquisition and zoning approach remain in progress; staff is working with the county on a conditional-use process. These steps could support future facility expansion, but no land purchase approval or other procurement action was recorded at this meeting. Other agenda items included introductions, a recap of the prior water-conservation discussion, and updates on the City’s 100 Years of Water campaign.

**Jurisdictions:** sled
**Industries:** Construction & Infrastructure, Energy & Utilities
**Topics:** Physical Infrastructure
**Published:** October 13, 2026

### Sources
- [October 2026 Bend WAG Meeting](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxDt5M9uqdA) - CityofBendOregon