Hillsboro Water: City Secures More than a Drop to Drink

Hillsboro has reached a deal to make sure it has water as the city grows.

They reached a deal with Salem to but some of its water right permitting.

This means as the city grows, they will continue to have enough water for the growing community.

"This water right acquisition continues Hillsboro's tradition of planning for the long-term water supply needs of the community," said the chairman of the Hillsboro Utilities Commission, John Godsey.

Hillsboro will pay Salem $16,217,200 for the right to 56 cubic feet per second of water or roughly 36 million gallons per day.

The deal also gives Hillsboro a right of first refusal to purchase up to an additional 44 cubic feet per second for another 25 years.

Hillsboro has partnered with the Tualatin Valley Water District on the Willamette Water Supply Program to plan and design a new Willamette Water System that will begin providing water to areas in and around Hillsboro by 2026. After determining that its current supply in the Tualatin River Basin, combined with water conservation efforts, would not provide enough water to meet future demands, Hillsboro researched four alternatives for a second water source. In 2013, based on the findings from that three-year study, the Hillsboro Utilities Commission selected the mid-Willamette River as the City's preferred source for additional water supplies.