Welcome!

Job Opening – Office Manager

The Co-Op has filled this position. Thank-you to everyone that applied!

 

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Board Meetings

The in person board meetings have been back in full swing for about a year, after holding them via Zoom during Covid. The meetings are held on the 4th Thursday of each month, at 6:00 PM, at the Gaston city fire station and are open to all members of the Co-op. This is a good time for members to address the board and have their questions answered. It’s also an opportunity to hear about the day-to-day operating decisions, and the issues that the board is addressing. This information may help members understand all sides of issues and why decisions are being made the way they are. Questions and suggestions are always welcome at board meetings but if you plan to address the board about something specific, it is recommended that you contact the office at least a few days prior to the meeting so that the board may be prepared with materials and information to accurately answer your question. Hope to see you there!

 

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2021 Year in Review

For those newer to L.A. Water in recent years, you may not know that our water coop has approximately 864 certificate holders with 777 of those certificates currently connected to the system. Our service area covers approximately 25 square miles of the Chehalem Valley, rural south-western Washington County, and northern Yamhill County. The service area ranges in elevation from 180 feet on the valley floor to 1,620 feet on Bald Peak. We have 15 reservoirs, 15 pump stations and over 60 miles of pipeline, most of which was installed in the 60’s and 70’s. All this is maintained and serviced 24/7 by 2 full time field technicians, 1 full time operations/office manager and 1 part time administrative assistant. We also have available as needed a Certified Level II DRC and an electrical engineer.

This past year has been a challenging, but productive year. It was necessary to make some staffing changes, which left us short-handed for a couple months during the spring/summer. We were fortunate enough to hire two new field technicians that have been a great asset to our team. Due to COVID regulations, needed supplies have at times been hard to source, but we have managed to keep things working until necessary parts could be sourced and installed.

A big accomplishment this year, was the completion of the new section of our main water line that crossed Wapato Creek on Gaston Road. This project started in 2020 and was done in conjunction with Washington County’s bridge replacement. Our main line was moved to the north side of the creek and hung on the side of the bridge which will protect it from debris floating down the creek. A total of approximately 950 feet of line was replaced.

Other than the routine maintenance and tasks which include daily rounds, monthly meter readings, 811 locates, landscape maintenance at all reservoirs and pump stations, winterizing reservoirs and pump stations and shop and vehicle maintenance, I have listed below some of the larger projects that were handled by our staff this year.

  • Repaired approximately 20 leaks

  • Repair of a faulty altitude valve at a reservoir

  • Repaired and/or rebuilt 5 mainline PRV’s (Pressure Reducing Valves)

  • 4 PGE power outages which caused damage to electrical panels in pumps houses

  • Repaired and/or replaced 3 aging wooden vaults

  • Repaired and/or replaced aging pumps, check valves and parts in 5 pump houses

At times, some of the above issues and leaks left customers without water for varying periods of time. We wish to thank you all for your patience as we worked to restore your services as quickly as possible. We know it can be an inconvenience to be without water and all the staff here at L.A. Water Coop work hard to ensure that problems are corrected as quickly and efficiently as possible. We look forward to continuing to serve our members.

 

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Water Rate Increases

In 2020 and 2022, the City of Hillsboro implemented rate increases, which the board decided not to pass on to our members due to the hardships many were experiencing during the COVID pandemic. Unfortunately, as the overall cost of parts, labor and services have increased significantly over the past few months, it is necessary to pass on a rate increase to our members.

Our water certificate gives members rights to 15,000 gallons a month per certificate. This cap is to prevent over-taxing our system. After much consideration, instead of increasing the overall rates for every customer, the Board voted to increase the rate schedule for gallons used over 20,000 gallons per month. The goal is to re-coup some of the cost increases we are incurring, while keeping our overall rates affordable for our customers and deter overuse that taxes our system and infrastructure.

Click on this link to see the full notice in PDF format , which includes a chart for the new rates and how they may affect you. Please do not hesitate to call the office if you have any questions.

 

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Online Payments

The Co-Op is able to accept online electronic payments using your credit card, debit card, or an eCheck. Click here to find out how!