About our Water
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ABOUT
OUR
water
Boring Water District consistently delivers water that meets or exceeds all federal and state standards.
Safe, reliable drinking water is a basic necessity of life. Boring Water District is proud to deliver water to more than 700 households on a daily basis.
It is important for our customers to understand where their water comes from and the efforts we take to provide this vital service to our community. You can have confidence in the quality of your drinking water.
Boring Water District's Water Quality Report includes information about the testing we do for potential contaminants.
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Water Testing
The quality and safety of your water is our number one priority. Boring Water District tests your water supply for approximately 200 contaminants. Testing includes all contaminants regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), plus many unregulated contaminants. Sampling is conducted at various locations within the water District, each month.
To ensure that when you turn on your tap, your water meets this commitment, we constantly monitor the water by taking samples. Once these samples are taken, the testing process proceeds as follows:
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Samples are refrigerated and taken to a certified testing lab. Boring Water District only contracts with laboratories that have been approved by the Oregon Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (ORELAP) to analyze drinking water standards.
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The lab sends the test results directly to the District and the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS) Drinking Water Program.
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A Consumer Confidence Report (sampling results from the past year) is posted on our website (Water Quality Report) and a notice is sent to customers advising the availability of the report .
Each element has different regulations to adhere to. In an extremely rare occurrence that an element falls outside of the range, we will re-sample the water. If it still falls out of the range, we will take whatever action is necessary to rectify the situation and follow the proper notification procedures.
*Click the Adobe Icon to view our Water Quality Report for 2022*
Please contact the office if you have any questions or need help reviewing the document.
Water Source
Boring Water District's water comes from four deep wells in the area. There is a body of underground water in our area called the Deep Troutdale aquifer running roughly from Mt. Hood to the Columbia River. The District's water is so pure, we are not required to chlorinate.
We tap into this aquifer at about 500-600 feet underground.
The district has water rights to pump over 4,000 gallons a minute. Our current capacity is 1,300 gallons per minute.
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Unless there is an emergency such as a fire, the district's summer water demand peaks during the morning hours from 6:00 AM to 11:00 AM daily. During this time the reservoirs are drawn down to a pre-set point and then the wells begin to come online to keep up with the demand and replenish the reservoirs. All four wells can come online if the demand requires the water.
System Monitoring
Boring Water District's water system is monitored 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our state-of-the-art telemetry system, sends data to the District's office computer, monitoring each site for reservoir and well usage, how long the well was pumped, how many gallons of water were delivered, the static level of the well, and how fast it recovered after use.
The District has taken a positive approach to monitoring our well use to insure that we don't have an adverse affect on the aquifer. If the monitors find anything wrong with any part of our system or any intrusions, an alarm alerts our District Manager of a problem, including nights and weekends.
Our water is billed bi-monthly by units of consumption.
1 unit= 100 cubic feet=748 gallons
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The Rates Broken Down
All costs are calculated and then billed on a bi-monthly basis.
The water rates are broken down into the cost of being connected to our system and the units of water that are used. The cost of connection depends on the size of your meter.
The usage is calculated based on the amount of units used, and which category they fall into.
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Water Rates Calculator
*Click the Adobe Icon for the PDF version of the water rates spreadsheet.
Please contact the office if you have any questions or would like help reviewing the document.
Bi-Monthly Base Rate
Based on meter size
*The cost reflects the base rate because of our billing cycle*
5/8" meter costs $76.29
1" meter costs $83.18
1 1/2" meter costs $96.95
2, 3, 4" meters cost $119.86
Cost of Usage
Based on units of usage
*The cost reflects water usage based on a rate assigned per category of units used*
1 unit= 100 cubic feet
0-10 units are $2.25 per unit
11-20 units are $2.41 per unit
21-80 units goes are $2.67 per unit
81 units and above are $2.73 per unit
The Calculation
Cost of Connection + Usage = Bi-Monthly Water Bill
(based on meter size) (units multiplied by cost of unit based on category)
Leaks
Eliminate Leaks- Reduce your water bill
*Use your water meter to test for a leak*
The most common leak is found in toilets. Your toilet may have a silent leak, or may sporadically run without flushing.
Common Leaks
"Boring Water District is not responsible for a customer's leak or repair occurring beyond the water meter...."
The policy applies to all Boring Water District accounts. As a customer courtesy, credits for leaks will be granted a maximum of two times over a five-year period.
Leak Adjustment Policy
Example adjustment:
7000 cubic feet is used during leak period. Normal usage is 1000 cubic feet. Adjustment would be for 3000 cubic feet.
7000 cf minus 1000 cf = 6000 cf
6000 cf divided by 2 = 3000 cf adjustment
Identifying a Leak Using Water Meter
*To use your meter, turn off all your faucets and water-using appliances (such as dish and clothes washers) and be sure no one in the household is using any water. *
Go to your water meter and lift the cover of the meter dial. Note the position of the sweep-hand. If you have a typical water meter,
there should be no movement of the dials on the meter.
Wait 20 to 30 minutes and check the sweep-hand location again. If the sweep-hand has moved, you probably have a leak somewhere in your system.
If the small diamond-shaped indicator on the face of the meter is moving, it also means you probably have a leak.
*For electronic meters, turn off all water, if meter still says "flow" after doing this you may have a leak.
Retest to be certain. Then locate the leak by inspecting all the pipes, fixtures and appliances that use water.
Toilets
You can check a leak in your toilet by dropping a little food coloring in the tank. Wait about 10 minutes without flushing. If color appears in the bowl, you have a leak. You may need to repair the flap and/or chain.
Responsibility
If you determine you have a leak, we ask that you repair it as soon as possible to conserve water, which may mean you may need help from a plumber or a repair specialist.
If you need assistance with reading your meter or have any questions, our staff would be glad to help. If you discover and repair a sizable leak, contact our office to see if you qualify for a leak adjustment on your bill.
See below paragraph for Boring Water District's leak adjustment policies and tips to reduce water consumption.
Boring Water District is not responsible for a customer's leak or repair occurring beyond the water meter; the customer
must promptly locate and repair leaks or pipe damage. The customer is responsible for monitoring their month to month water usage. As a courtesy, the District may notify the customer if excessive water use is noted, but the District does not assume liability for failure to provide notification other than information on the regularly scheduled bill.
Leak Adjustments
The Process
To receive a billing adjustment:
1. When notification of a leak occurs by the District to the customer, or by the customer to the District, a Leak Adjustment Request Form and a copy of this policy will be sent to the customer. This date will be considered the Notification Date. To request a form please contact the office.
2. Repair work must be completed and the form returned within 30 days of the Notification Date. If Item 2 is not accomplished within the 30 days, no adjustment will be made.
3. As requested on the form, the customer should provide a copy of the dated repair receipt from a plumber. If the customer chooses to fix the leak themselves, they should provide copies of receipts for materials and pictures of the leak. If materials are not purchased, the customer should request direction from the District as to what will constitute proof of repair.
Calculation of Adjustment
1. Excess water will be considered eligible for adjustment from the beginning of the current billing period up to the Notification Date. If a customer notifies the District within a week of receiving a higher than normal bill, that bill will be the eligible period for adjustment. The District will read the meter on the Notification Date.
2. The District will give a courtesy adjustment for one-half of the water used during the eligible period that exceeds the normal average usage.
The portion of the water that is left on the bill will be billed at the District’s regular rates. See an example adjustment to the left.
3. Bill payment will be due by the normal due date unless payment arrangements are made at the customer’s request.
Appeal Process
1. A customer may appeal staff’s decision to the Board of Commissioners when; Staff determines that the customer does not qualify for a leak adjustment, or if the customer disagrees with the amount of the leak adjustment.
2. A customer who chooses to appeal the staff decision must submit their reason for appeal in writing and should include any supporting documents. The Board of Commissioners will review the appeal at the next regular monthly meeting. Staff will convey the Board’s decision in writing to the customer within 30 days of the review. All decisions of the Board of Commissioners are final.