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Media Resources

Orenco’s Marketing Department provides assistance to members of the media interested in contacting researchers, staff, or engineers. We can set up interviews and photography sessions, provide background information, and arrange for an article to be created on industry-related topics.

To the right, you’ll find links to a variety of information about Orenco and our technology. The fact sheet and corporate history summary offer basic information about Orenco and its operation. 

Contact Jennifer Wimber to be added to our mailing list for press releases and electronic media advisories. You can reach her via email.

News Releases

Orenco Celebrates 40th Anniversary, Makes Organizational Changes

Orenco Celebrates 40th Anniversary, Makes Organizational Changes 

 

SUTHERLIN, ORE., February 2, 2021 — Orenco Systems, Inc., is celebrating four decades of protecting the world’s water. As part of reaching this milestone, the company is making some significant changes that better reflect its plans for the future.

After 40 years, founder Hal Ball has announced his retirement from day-to-day involvement in the company. Co-founder and former executive vice president Terry Bounds will serve as both chairman of Orenco’s board of directors and president over the research and development, operation and maintenance, and facilities departments of the company.

“It feels pretty amazing to have achieved this milestone,” says Bounds, “and we couldn’t have done it without the support of everyone we’ve worked with over the past four decades, both inside and outside Orenco.” He adds, “We’re also incredibly excited to continue developing innovative, science-based solutions to protect the world’s water for decades to come.”

Orenco is also instituting some organizational changes in this anniversary year. The company will now operate in three distinct divisions to provide more focused service. Jeff Ball will serve as president of Orenco Water, while Eric Ball has been named president of Orenco Composites. Travis Wood, former president of Franklin Control Systems, is the new president of Orenco Controls. And former legal counsel Scott Saulls will serve as Corporate President.

As mentioned above, Orenco’s wastewater-focused operations will now be known as the Orenco Water division. The company’s founders have always believed in the “One Water” approach to water conservation and management, and the Orenco slogan is “Protecting the World’s Water.” Jeff Ball says, “We see water as our most valuable resource, no matter where it appears in the water cycle.”

Based in Sutherlin, Oregon, Orenco Systems has been designing and manufacturing energy-efficient water and wastewater products, large-scale composite structures, and controls products since 1981. The company employs about 400 people and has more than 300 points of distribution worldwide. For more information, visit orenco.com.

News Release

Water & Wastes Digest “Top Projects” Award for Vero Beach, Florida

Septic-to-Sewer Conversion Helps Clean Up a Florida Community 


SUTHERLIN, ORE., October 7, 2016 — For the second year in a row, an Orenco® Systems’ wastewater installation has received a “Top Projects” award from Water & Wastes Digest magazine. Winners of this coveted award are selected based on the challenges presented by their projects and how they met those challenges.

This year’s award-winning project is located in Vero Beach, Florida, a densely populated city adjacent to the Indian River Lagoon on Florida’s east coast. Many of the city’s on-lot septic tanks and drainfields were failing, and experts believed that nitrogen, phosphorus, and bacteria from these systems were contributing to the pollution of the watershed. To address these concerns, approximately 1,500 septic systems are now being replaced with an Orenco Sewer™ system.

Darren Paschke, a Project Manager in Orenco’s Municipal Systems group, coordinated the project. “We are excited to be recognized again this year by Water & Wastes Digest,” says Paschke. “The engineer in Vero Beach did his homework and, after analyzing several types of wastewater collection, determined that Orenco Sewer was the most cost-effective solution.”

Robert J. Bolton, P.E., is the Director of Water and Sewer for Vero Beach. While researching various sewer options, he contacted other cities that had already installed Orenco Sewer. He found they were able to maintain their systems with minimal staffing and negligible maintenance issues. “At this point,” says Bolton, “I determined that Orenco products led the industry.” And, according to Bolton’s calculations, the cost of installing an Orenco Sewer was less than half of what it would have cost to expand the city’s gravity sewer system.

Orenco Sewers use underground tanks at each home to collect wastewater solids, with pump-outs needed only 7-10 years, depending on occupancy.i The liquid waste is pumped to a treatment facility. Energy requirements, operation and maintenance needs, and life-cycle costs for the system are all typically much less than those for a traditional gravity sewer system.ii

i Orenco Systems, internal tests, based on a 95% level of confidence.
ii Water Environment & Reuse Foundation, Decentralized Systems Performance and Costs Fact Sheets, www.werf.org/i/c/DecentralizedCost/Decentralized_Cost.aspx

Media Kits

WEFTEC 2021 Media Kit

Orenco Returns to WEFTEC with Prelos™, the Sewer Solution 

 

SUTHERLIN, ORE., September 30, 2021 — Orenco Systems’ experts in wastewater collection and treatment, composite structures, and electrical controls are excited to return in person to WEFTEC, the Water Environment Federation’s Technical Exhibition and Conference, held October 16th through 20th in Chicago, Illinois. Orenco’s booth – #2425 in the south building – will feature its Prelos Wastewater Collection System and AdvanTex® Wastewater Treatment System, along with the latest technologies in composites and controls.

Orenco Water™ (orenco.com), a division of Orenco Systems, will display a full-size Prelos Processor™ cutaway, including a complete pumping package. The Processor is the core of a Prelos Sewer™ – pressurized liquid-only sewer that combines on-lot treatment of solids with small-diameter, shallow-bury sewer lines that follow the contour of the land at minimal burial depth to significantly lower the cost of sewer installation. “Choosing the right sewer system can save millions of dollars,” says Mike Saunders, Orenco’s National Sales Manager for commercial and municipal projects. “Our liquid-only sewer was installed in 2015 in Vero Beach, Florida, at half the estimated cost of gravity sewer, and the city’s director of water and sewer has been thrilled with its performance.” An ongoing Prelos project in Mosses, Alabama, is featured on the cover of the September 2021 issue of Water Environment & Technology magazine, available at WEFTEC.

The Prelos Processor is a complete, high-quality package of compatible, long-lifespan components, including a patented1 tank designed for superior solids removal, a passively self-cleaning effluent filter, and the ClickTight™ connection system. ClickTight allows for the quick connection of a pump and floats to a control panel while eliminating the need for field splicing and wire nuts. The Orenco booth will feature a complete ClickTight display with control panel and floats.

Orenco Water will also display its AdvanTex line of wastewater treatment systems, including the AX-Max™, a recirculating packed-bed filter with a highly efficient, engineered textile media. The AX-Max is pre-plumbed and easy to install, either individually or in multi-tank arrays. Its unique modular design and simple construction make wastewater treatment available when and where it’s needed. When combined with Prelos, AdvanTex provides an ideal solution for decentralized wastewater treatment, septic-to-sewer, and small or planned communities.

Orenco Composites™ (orencocomposites.com), another division of Orenco Systems, will showcase its virtually maintenance-free DuraFiber™ building. These pre-packaged buildings are ultra-strong, but also lightweight. They’re made of fiberglass using a closed-molding – not sprayed up – single-piece construction process designed to ensure a leakproof, seamless structure. And because no wood or exposed steel is used in their construction, they won’t rot or rust. DuraFiber buildings are available with a variety of special options – like windows, heating, cooling, lighting, and ventilation systems – making them a hassle-free project solution that allows engineers to focus on more challenging design issues.

Orenco Controls™ (orencocontrols.com), the third division of Orenco Systems, will feature two of its industrial control panels, showcasing their various control and monitoring capabilities. First off is a stand-alone OLS-Series panel with logic controller and user-friendly interface graphics that make it easy to operate. OLS Control Panels come with either integrated starters (an economical choice) or variable-frequency drives (VFDs), which optimize system operation. These panels are ideal for a variety of pumping applications, including lift stations, water boosting, stormwater pump stations, dewatering, and sludge pumping. A second OLS panel will be located inside the DuraFiber building with the VFDs mounted on an inside wall, a method that eliminates heat rise and maintains the integrity of the electrical control system.

Founded in 1981, Orenco has become an industry leader, with about 400 employees and some 330 points of distribution across North and Central America, Australasia, Europe, and Africa. Its products and technologies are in use in more than 70 countries around the world. For more information, visit orenco.com.

###

To arrange an interview, contact:

Mike Saunders (Orenco Water), 941-661-5776

Darren Simmie (Orenco Composites), 541-784-6423

Jerry Snyder (Orenco Controls), 541-580-5781

1 patent 10,392,281

In The News

WaterWorld, April 2022: "New Zealand Puts Wastewater Out of Sight, Out of Mind at New Development"

“New Zealand Puts Wastewater Out of Sight, Out of Mind at New Development”

“At the time of its conception in 2002, the Jack’s Point subdivision was set to become the largest planned residential community in New Zealand, with developers envisioning approximately 900 luxury homes ... They needed an economically sustainable collection system that could handle variable terrain, followed by a reliable treatment system that would produce high-quality effluent and could be installed in stages, with minimal visual impact on the community.” Read More >

Water & Wastes Digest, September 2021: "Designing a Lift Station: What You Need to Know"

"Designing a Lift Station: What You Need to Know"

"By taking time to properly evaluate project goals, the system features needed, site conditions, construction considerations, life-cycle costs, and operation and maintenance, along with each manufacturer’s capabilities, one can set the stage for a successful project." Read More >

Water Environment & Technology, September 2021: "A Call to Action"

“A Call to Action”

“Data and experiences make it abundantly clear that the wastewater infrastructure being constructed in small communities is neither affordable nor sustainable. The sector cannot continue to recommend the same wastewater solutions and expect different results. Government, industry, and engineers need to collaborate so that affordable and sustainable solutions rise to the forefront.” Read More >

WaterWorld, August 2021: "Fiberglass Utility Buildings Loaded with Features"

"Fiberglass Utility Buildings Loaded with Features”

"... Love's chose Orenco Composites’ DuraFiber utility buildings to house both the water and the wastewater controls. The specifying en­gineer was particularly impressed that these buildings came complete with so many options, including electrical and control panels, heating, cooling, lighting, and ventilation systems." Read More >

Water & Wastes Digest, July 2021: "Mountain Top Facility Meets Standards with Compact Wastewater Treatment System"

“Mountain Top Facility Meets Standards with Compact Wastewater Treatment System”

“Located at the top of a mountain, with steep banks all around and limited space available for a new wastewater treatment system, the Galston Gorge Centre presented quite a challenge for designers. Fortunately, AdvanTex treatment technology is well suited for such sites and consistently meets the strict nutrient limits they often require.” Read More >

Water Environment & Technology, May 2021: "Urban Infill"

“Urban Infill”

“While water is often described as our most valuable resource, widespread adoption of innovations in its management is lacking. Old — and often faulty — technologies and methods are still being shoe-horned into new development without serious consideration of other ways of managing water resources ... some progressive designers and engineers, however, have made efforts to challenge this traditional thinking. They have found ways to reclaim and keep the water on-site.” Read More >

WaterWorld, April 2021: "Finding An Off-Grid Wastewater Solution"

“Finding An Off-Grid Wastewater Solution”

“At these two camps on the Scenic Rim Trail, this [AdvanTex] treatment technology is performing reliably and providing enhanced nutrient reduction, even with high organic loads. The rainwater that’s collected and used in sinks, showers, and toilets is being safely reclaimed and reintroduced with minimal impact or risk to the local environment and its rare and endangered wildlife.” Read More >

Onsite Installer, March 2021: "Product Spotlight"

“Product Spotlight”

"Based on what we’re seeing, we expect about a 20% improvement in between pump-out cycles with this new design," says Mike Saunders, Orenco’s market segment leader for effluent sewers. "When you start thinking over the life cycle of the tank, that can be pretty significant." Read More >

Water Environment & Technology, February 2021: "Phased Solutions Bridge the Gap for The Crossings"

“Phased Solutions Bridge the Gap for The Crossings”

“Due to the need for 'phase-ability' and affordability, developers chose an Orenco Sewer™ and an AdvanTex® Municipal Treatment Facility. Both collection and treatment can be installed in phases, dramatically reducing up-front capital costs and offering homeowners a fully sewered community.” Read More >

Onsite Installer, December 2020: "Michigan Onsite Professionals Set an Example for Water Recycling"

“Michigan Onsite Professionals Set an Example for Water Recycling”

“I saw a unique opportunity to teach visitors the benefits of treating wastewater with everyday onsite components, then using the effluent to flush lavatory fixtures.” Read More >

Water Environment & Technology, November 2020: "Out of Sight, Top of Mind"

“Out of Sight, Top of Mind”

“A properly designed, well-maintained, and successfully operated wastewater treatment system will yield a positive effect on a property’s bottom line, its environmental profile, and its guest experiences.” Read More >

WaterWorld, September 2020: "Sewage Solutions"

“Sewage Solutions”

“With the nearest municipal sewer system about 3.5 miles away, the Pennsylvania village of Potters Mills – traditionally served by on-lot septic systems – needed a more accessible solution to their sewage problems.” Read More >

Water & Wastes Digest, September 2020: "Effluent Sewer Addresses Odor & Aging Infrastructure"

“Effluent Sewer Addresses Odor & Aging Infrastructure”

“Orenco offered a sewer solution that would meet the city’s budget, which was an effluent sewer for wastewater collection followed by an AdvanTex AX-MaxTM wastewater treatment facility. Because of the first two failed proposals, the URS engineer was hesitant to make a third, but research revealed the septic tank effluent pump (STEP) collection system used in this sewer would provide a significant cost savings over the gravity sewer specified in the first two proposals.” Read More >

Water Environment & Technology, June 2020: "In Search of a Scaled Solution"

"In Search of a Scaled Solution”

"Located too far to connect to the nearest city’s sewer system, Potters Mills needed an effective, affordable wastewater collection and treatment system that was easy to install, operate, and maintain with minimal disruption to residents’ daily lives. After a thorough review of the available options, Potter Township, which governs the village, chose to install a pressurized, liquid-only sewer system that feeds into a new advanced attached-growth treatment process with a history of serving small communities and small-flow applications." Read More >

WaterWorld, April 2020: "Effluent Sewers Down Under"

"Effluent Sewers Down Under”

"In early 2009, a record-breaking heat wave struck the state of Victoria in southeast Australia, making already dry conditions even worse. In addition, strong winds and low humidity combined to create some of the highest-risk fire conditions ever experienced in the region. Fierce winds knocked down power lines, resulting in fires that quickly grew into the largest, most destructive firestorm in Australia’s modern history. The community of Kinglake West, home to about 1,000 residents, was dramatically impacted. Much of the town needed to be rebuilt, including its infrastructure." Read More >

World Water, Mar/Apr 2020: "Reliable, Onsite Wastewater Treatment in Australian Outback"

"Reliable, Onsite Wastewater Treatment in Australian Outback”

"The Wirib Tourist Park was earmarked as an ongoing sustainability project and is part of the government indigenous food security program, servicing three local indigenous communities, which rely on fish from a nearby creek as a source of food. Unfortunately, the park’s existing AWTS [aerated wastewater treatment system] was undersized and couldn’t adequately treat the wastewater flows produced onsite, particularly during periods of high occupancy. When the AWTS overflowed, the creek received untreated wastewater." Read More >

Water & Wastes Digest, March 2020: "Liquid-only Sewer Briefing"

"Liquid-only Sewer Briefing”

"Liquid-only sewers (also known as “effluent sewers”) have proven to be a cost-effective solution for municipalities, new subdivisions, and a variety of other areas in need of sewer. As opposed to the big pipes and deep excavations typically required by gravity sewers, liquid-only sewers use small-diameter, shallowly buried mainlines that follow the contour of the land and are easily installed with light-duty equipment, minimizing disturbance to the surrounding area." Read More >

Corporate Biographies

Terry Bounds
Chairman of the Board
Download Biography >
Eric Ball
Orenco Composites President
Download Biography >
Jeff Ball
Orenco Water President
Download Biography >
Angela Bounds-Antonio
Marketing Director
Download Biography >
Rhonda Amer, HR Director
Rhonda Amer
Human Resources Director
Download Biography >
Melissa Stoddard
Electrical Controls Manager