Every Drop Counts: Water Conservation in Tualatin This Summer
Tualatin residents are heading into a summer that demands more mindfulness at the tap than usual. Oregon is grappling with what experts are calling a historic water supply crisis, and the effects will be felt right here in Washington and Clackamas Counties.
Oregon’s snowpack hit its lowest level on record this spring, sitting at just 15% of the historical median on April 1 — the date it typically reaches its peak. The previous record low was 16%, set in 2015. For communities across the Tualatin Valley, that statistic carries real consequences. Snowpack acts like a giant reservoir, slowly releasing water that feeds streamflows through the spring and summer months. Without it, the natural replenishment that sustains local water systems simply doesn’t happen.
Oregon is facing a potentially extraordinary drought in 2026, driven by historically low snowpack, one of the warmest winters in state history, and multi-year precipitation deficits—a combination that is putting stress on municipal water supplies across the region. State officials have warned that conditions could mean earlier water regulation, smaller allotments, and the possibility that some waterways relying on snowmelt could dry up or see significant flow reductions.
So what can Tualatin households do? Quite a bit, it turns out.
Outdoors: Outdoor watering typically accounts for the largest share of summer household water use. Water lawns and gardens early in the morning or after sunset to minimize evaporation. Consider switching to drought-tolerant native plants — a change that pays dividends in low-water years like this one. If you have a sprinkler system, audit it for leaks or misdirected heads. Letting your lawn go slightly dormant during peak heat is normal and healthy for the grass.
Indoors: Fix leaky faucets and running toilets promptly — a slow drip can waste thousands of gallons over a summer. Run dishwashers and washing machines only with full loads and consider shortening showers by just a minute or two. Small habits add up fast across a household.
At the community level: Conservation is most powerful when neighbors act together. Talk to your neighbors about what you’re doing — social norms shift when people see those around them taking conservation seriously. Schools, churches, and civic organizations can amplify the message by hosting water-smart workshops or simply modeling conservation practices in their own facilities.
Monitoring conditions and preparing for potential shortages will be essential as the summer season approaches. This isn’t a year to take water for granted. Oregon state climatologist Larry O’Neill has called conditions like these “a test of our resiliency” — and Tualatin can rise to that test, one conserved gallon at a time.
