Your Reliable Drinking Water Future
By Frank Reed, Communications & Youth Education Coordinator,
Tualatin Valley Water District
The Tualatin Valley Water District (TVWD) takes pride in providing water to customers year-round, 24 hours a day, for drinking, public health, fire protection, and other uses by residents, business and industry.
TVWD is in the midst of an important planning and decision process to determine the best mix of options for the District’s future water supply portfolio. TVWD has enough water for today—but needs to take steps to ensure there’s enough water to meet future demands. Projections show the District’s population will increase by 82,000 people by 2042.
 District leadership is committed to seeking input from customers in decisions on TVWD’s water supply portfolio. The results of customer input will help inform the District’s elected Board of Commissioners for upcoming decisions.
Portfolio of Water Supplies
We are committed to having multiple quality water supplies. This redundancy allows us to better manage resources to reliably provide water for customers. Currently, TVWD’s water supplies include:
Portland Water Bureau: This purchased water consists primarily of water from Portland’s Bull Run Watershed and some supplemental water from the Columbia South Shore Well Field. The water received is enclosed in the water system from the source to your tap.
Joint Water Commission: The Joint Water Commission (JWC) is owned by TVWD and the cities of Hillsboro, Beaverton and Forest Grove. The JWC supply includes water from Barney Reservoir, Hagg Lake (Scoggins Dam) and the Tualatin River. Water from these sources is treated at JWC’s treatment plant.
Grabhorn Aquifer Storage and Recovery: During the winter, when water supplies are plentiful and demands are low, TVWD stores treated drinking water underground in the aquifer surrounding the Grabhorn Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) well. During the summer, the stored water is pumped from the well to augment other sources to help meet peak-summer water demands.
Additional Options Being Explored
Developing a reliable drinking water supply for the future requires identifying and carefully evaluating a variety of water supply options for today’s needs and the long-term (30 years and beyond).
Purchase additional water from the Portland Water Bureau: With this option, the Portland Water Bureau would be the primary supplier of water to TVWD.
Increase Storage at Hagg Lake (Tualatin Basin Water Supply Project): The Tualatin Basin Water Supply Project (TBWSP) includes the cities of Beaverton and Hillsboro, the Tualatin Valley Water District, and Clean Water Services. These entities would expand the Scoggins dam (located near Forest Grove) with a 40-foot dam raise to increase the capacity of Hagg Lake, and construct a new water treatment plant and raw water pipeline.
Develop groundwater wells along the Columbia River near Scappoose: This option involves developing a well field from an existing aquifer near Scappoose. Groundwater would be piped to a treatment plant near Cornelius Pass Road on the Northwestern part of TVWD’s service area and delivered to the District’s customers.
Use the Mid-Willamette River in Wilsonville: The option for this water source would require expansion of the Willamette River Water Treatment Plant in Wilsonville and a pipeline to carry finished water to the District’s customers.
Decisions about supply options will be made by TVWD’s Board of Commissioners in Spring 2013. To request a meeting, presentation, or for a list of opportunities to learn more, contact TVWD at (503) 642-1511, or visit www.tvwd.org.
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