Hillsboro Celebrates National Public Works Week May 17-23

Press release from the City of Hillsboro:

May 17, 2020

This year, honoring the public works professionals at Hillsboro Parks & Recreation, Water, and Public Works departments during National Public Works Week is even more important, especially during this time of crisis.

We take this week to thank our public works professionals for their dedication to maintain and protect the Hillsboro community’s public buildings and grounds, transportation system, water treatment and distribution system, sanitary sewer and stormwater collection systems, and essential park land and recreational facilities.

During this important week, the City invites the community to join us in a ‘virtual celebration’ on our website and on Twitter, as we highlight Hillsboro’s public work professionals, and shine a light on their accomplishments.

Parks & Recreation Department

The Hillsboro Parks & Recreation Department inspires and expands the minds and horizons of citizens of all ages and positively impacts the economic health of the community by enabling access to recreation, nature, culture, and adventure.

The Parks & Recreation Department provides more than 1,500 acres of park land and open space, seven unique recreational facilities including the Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve, Hillsboro Community Senior Center, Shute Park Aquatic & Recreation Center, Walters Cultural Arts Center, and the Gordon Faber Recreation Complex, plus a multitude of recreational, educational, and cultural programs.

Learn more about Hillsboro’s exception facilities, comprehensive park system, and diverse recreation programs at Hillsboro-Oregon.gov/Departments/Parks-Recreation.

Water Department

The Hillsboro Water Department is committed to providing drinking water of highest quality and sufficient quantity to more than 85,000 customers, while protecting and providing stewardship for our community’s most vital resource. On average, the department supplies over 260 million gallons of clean and safe drinking water annually.

Through its five divisions, the department maintains a vast local network of pipes, pumps, meters, fire hydrants, and reservoirs, monitors water quality throughout the system to assure compliance with drinking water standards, plans for long-term water supplies to meet growing demands, and provides a seismically resilient system.

Learn more about the vital role tap water plays in our daily lives, the infrastructure that carries it safely to homes and businesses, and the important work of Hillsboro’s water professionals.

Public Works Department

The Public Works Department is dedicated to excellence, integrity, and stewardship. The department's divisions work closely together to ensure that Hillsboro community members enjoy properly built and maintained streets, sanitary sewer, storm drainage systems, and city support services:

• Facilities & Fleet: This division guides and manages the planning, design, and construction for all new City facilities, the operations and maintenance for over one million square feet of City facilities, and the maintenance and management of more than 550 fleet vehicles and equipment. Learn more.

• Capital & Development Services: This division - made up of the Capital Projects, Development Services section, and GIS and asset management - oversees the design and construction of public roadways, public buildings, sanitary sewer systems, and storm water systems, plan and place new traffic control features, and provides plan review, permitting, and inspection services for private development projects and the City’s own infrastructure projects. Learn about the City’s current infrastructure projects.

• Transportation: This division oversees the maintenance, inspection, and investigation of the transportation system, and responds to community member concerns. The City’s transportation system includes 240 centerline miles of pavement, 31 traffic signals, 10 solar school zone beacons, 19 pedestrian activated beacons, approximately 7,800 street lights, thousands of traffic signs, and hundreds of miles of traffic striping and markings. This division encompasses Traffic Engineering, Roadway Engineering, and Operational and Maintenance sections. Learn how you can help keep Hillsboro’s roadways safe for travel.

• Sanitary Sewer & Surface Water Management: This division manages and maintains separate Sanitary Sewer and Stormwater systems. Sanitary Sewer infrastructure consists of 258 miles of sanitary pipe lines distributed throughout the City, while Stormwater infrastructure includes 8,600 catch basins, 6,417 manholes, 287 miles of underground storm pipes, 250 miles open channels, 325 water quality facilities, and 490 outfalls. This division encompasses Environmental Services and Maintenance and Operations sections. Learn how the separate systems provide essential services to both residents and businesses, and help keep the City running smoothly.

This press release was produced by the City of Hillsboro. The views expressed here are the author’s own.