Hey Tualatin, want to tap into the Willamette?

Tualatin council considers plan to partner with Sherwood and bring Willamette River water to Tualatin

By Ed Johnson

The Times, Feb 25, 2010 (4 Reader comments)

Jaime Valdez / Times Newspapers

A construction crew from Emry & Sons Construction works on Baker Road near Sherwood Friday installing the water pipeline that will connect Sherwood with Wilsonville’s Willamette River Water Tretment Plant. The 4.7-mile pipeline is scheduled to be completed in 2011.

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Hey Tualatin, Sherwood wants know: You interested in our new water supply? ’Cause have we got the deal for you.

Tualatin city councilors heard a presentation Monday that outlined a proposal that would see up to $45 million invested in Sherwood’s new pipeline – directing water to the city from the Willamette River Water Treatment Plant in Wilsonville. The move would essentially cement Tualatin’s water future as being, at least partially, supplied by the Willamette.

City leaders were quick to point out that this concept was still just an idea, a long ways off from even being a consideration, and the discussion Monday was just about seeing whether it was possibly a feasible option to explore. More to the point, by the end of the presentation, councilors made it clear that investing in the pipeline didn’t strike them as a good idea, at least not right now.

Still, Willamette River water is a touchy subject. Many view it as polluted and undesirable.

“Does anybody care about water quality at this table?” Councilor Joelle Davis asked part way through the discussion; seemingly amazed that the conversation was even taking place. She had said earlier that she didn’t believe Tualatin voters would vote to change the water supply, as required by law, from its current source of Portland’s Bull Run system to the Willamette.

The reason council was even having the discussion in the first place? Portland water is expensive, and will only get costlier with time. Right now, city engineers estimate that Tualatin will use about 12.5 million gallons of water a day, if areas brought into town as urban reserves are served by the city. And as need grows, so will the financial implications of water costs.

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