Samaritan Hospital Water Resiliency Project

Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital will host a public event on Wednesday, Sept. 23, from 2:30 to 4 p.m. to build community awareness of its Water Resiliency Project. This project is an effort to secure an independent, reliable source of clean water so the hospital can keep operating after a disaster, such as a Cascadia earthquake.

“When – not if – this happens, our hospital must be prepared to operate independently for

weeks,” said Lesley Ogden, MD, Samaritan Coast Hospitals CEO. “Without a reliable four-week supply of water, our ability to provide life-saving care will be crippled.”

A state analysis by the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries estimates a

magnitude 9 earthquake could damage 90% of the county’s buildings and cause about 1,430

injuries in Lincoln County, with roughly 290 requiring hospitalization.

Such a quake could also sever the hospital’s water supply. The hospital relies on the city’s water system, much of it built before modern seismic standards and with no adequate backup source. The Water Resiliency Project will give the hospital its own four-week supply of potable water.

The project is a collaboration between Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital, North Lincoln Health District, North Lincoln Hospital Foundation and Dig Deep Research. Together, these partners have committed more than $600,000 to date, with approximately $570,000 in further

commitments from the city of Lincoln City, the North Lincoln Hospital Foundation and the

Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The Sept. 23 event is a public awareness gathering, not a fundraiser, and all are welcome to

attend. Speakers include State Sen. Dick Anderson, State Rep. David Gomberg, Lincoln City

Mayor Susan Wahlke, North Lincoln Health District Board Chair Peter Mann and North Lincoln Hospital Foundation Executive Director Leslie James. Visit samhealth.org/SNLHWater to learn more.