Public Works 101
Public Works 101
Public works makes your city “work.” It is your transportation (roads, sidewalks, and even traffic lights), your water, public facilities and infrastructure (bridges, buildings, and parks). Public works makes your community safe, healthy, and accessible. You see public works in action everyday when you turn on your faucet, drive across town, and visit your favorite park. Watch the Ask a City Manager video series to learn more about infrastructure.
Local governments in Oregon are required by state law to protect our public rights-of-way like streets, sidewalks, or water pipes. Rights-of-way belong to everyone and are maintained for you by your local government. Your city may charge fees to pay for help pay for repairs, new construction, and provide efficient and responsive services, all while protecting public safety and providing efficient and responsive services.
Your water can come from the water in lakes, rivers, or reservoirs (surface water), or from water that comes from wells (groundwater). Surface water and groundwater can be dirty or have dangerous bacteria, so your city’s public works department processes the water in a water treatment facility before it gets to your house to make it safe for us to drink. The water is kept in a water storage tank after it’s treated.
After you wash your dishes or flush the toilet, your water is sent through miles of pipes to a wastewater treatment plant to treat the water before it goes back to the environment. Then, the cycle starts again!
Yes! Public works employees are in the community every day to keep your city running smoothly. Job opportunities include engineers who plan and design new city infrastructure; pump station workers who make sure your community doesn’t flood; water meter readers; parks maintenance workers; or even snowplow drivers!
Your local public works or community development department and your City Manager can tell you more! Many communities have a list of current public projects on their website.
Many public works services and utilities are provided by one of Oregon’s 1,000+ special districts or by local businesses that the city pays to fulfill services. Special districts are local agencies that provide specific services, such as water treatment, sanitary services, or parks and recreation. Your city’s staff can help you navigate the different organizations that make your city safe and healthy.
Gordon Whitaker and Ricardo Morse, Local Government in North Carolina, 5th Ed. (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Government, 2021). Retrieved from https://localgovernment.pressbooks.com/
City of North Plains, "Where does my water come from?" Retrieved from https://www.northplains.org/publicworks/page/where-does-my-water-come
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Government and Chapel Hill Public Library, Water in Your Community. Retrieved from https://k12database.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2018/04/Water-in-Your-Community.pdf