Think of all the different ways we use water each day. We drink it – straight from the tap or by brewing coffee or tea. We fill our pets’ bowls so they can stay hydrated. We shower, flush the toilet, wash clothes and dishes. We water our flowers and gardens; play in sprinklers and at the splash pad on the Commons. Tualatin’s businesses use water in a multitude of different ways.
Water is the most important resource that we at the City manage and we take it very seriously. To be able to turn on our faucets and have clean, reliable water – both now and into the future – requires more moving parts than most of us ever think about. This is a big part of what the City of Tualatin does for those who live, work, and play here. We keep your water flowing!
Have you ever wondered where our water comes from? What happens in an emergency? Why you pay the rates that you do? We’ve spent a lot of time working on each and every one of those questions – researching, collaborating with other agencies, crunching numbers, talking with the community – and we have answers (and a Water Master Plan)!
Please consider this your invitation to learn more about our water. Taking a few minutes to browse the five quick and easy sections of our online open house will give you an overview of our:
1. Current Situation – Planning for the future requires that we understand the details of where we get our water, how much water we use right now, and a review of our existing infrastructure.
2. Strategic Planning – This helps guide the City in its response to emergencies, water conservation efforts, and investments in our water system over time.
3. Future Needs – Planning for the future mean considering how things like population growth, the impacts of climate change, and the age of our infrastructure will influence how we manage our water.
4. Funding and Rates – Improvements and repairs cost money, so the plan also reviews water rates, costs, and fees.
5. Thanks – Reviews the next steps
So, when you have a few minutes, visit our website (our “online open house”) and learn some interesting factoids to share at dinner. Learn about what your water bill will look like in the coming years. Learn about how our water system will change as Tualatin develops. Ask us questions and tell us what you think. If nothing else, you’ll come away knowing how many miles of water pipe we’ve got and how many millions of gallons Tualatin uses every day!
Visit www.tualatinwmp.com to get started. The open house will run between now and June 22nd.
For more information, visit www.tualatinoregon.gov/publicworks/water-division.
