FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions

In 2023, TVWD proposed a two-phased water rate increase. The initial increase of $15.53 per month for a typical single-family residence took effect on November 1, 2023. The second increase, which will take effect on November 1, 2024, will be an additional $15.04 per month for a typical single-family residence. Water bills vary based on meter size and individual usage.

TVWD's Board of Commissioners adopted the two-phased rate increase on September 20.

TVWD carefully manages your water system and your water rates. We understand it can be challenging for some customers to keep up with utility bills, including their water bill. Several programs are offered to help those who are struggling to pay, including conservation tips, flexible payment arrangements and an emergency assistance program. 

Customers were encouraged to learn more and provide comments to the TVWD Board during a public comment period. Videos of the presentations can be found at the links below. 

• Virtual Open House #1  
  • Wednesday, August 2 2023, 12:00 pm
  • Watch the Open House recording here | PowerPoint Presentation
• In-Person Open House
  • Saturday, August 5 2023, 9:00-10:30 am
  • TVWD Headquarters: 1850 SW 170th Avenue, Beaverton
• Board of Commissioners Meeting – Public Hearing
  • Wednesday, August 16 2023, 6:00 p.m.
  • TVWD Headquarters: 1850 SW 170th Avenue, Beaverton
• Virtual Open House #2
  • Thursday, August 17, 6:00 p.m.
  • Watch the Open House recording here
• Comments were accepted until August 24, 2023 at 4:00 pm and were included in the public record.

TVWD’s budget and rate setting processes have significant public oversight from its publicly elected Board of Commissioners. Every other spring, the TVWD Board of Commissioners, in consultation with a 10-member Citizen’s Budget Committee considers and approves a budget for capital projects and water system operations. This process establishes the spending plans funded by customer rates for the following two-year budget cycle. TVWD maintains a 30-year financial plan that balances TVWD’s capital and operating costs with revenue from rates, other fees, financial reserves, and long-term borrowing.

The TVWD Board of Commissioners considers and, if approved, adopts the water rates for the biennium to fund the approved budget. During both the budget and rate processes, TVWD holds information sessions, workshops, and public hearings to receive input from customers. In 2022, a 17-member Rate Advisory Committee (RAC), appointed by TVWD’s Board of Commissioners, advised the Board regarding customer affordability programs and rate design. 

TVWD proposed a phased  water rate increase. The initial increase of $15.53 per month for a typical single-family residence took effect on November 1, 2023. The second increase, to take effect on November 1, 2024, will be an additional $15.04 per month for a typical single-family residence. The typical single-family residence has a 5/8-inch water meter and uses 5,236 gallons of water, or 7 CCF (hundred cubic feet) per month. Individual water bills will vary based on meter size and individual usage.

*Note: One CCF equals 100 cubic feet of water, or 748 gallons. 

*Note: One CCF equals 100 cubic feet of water, or 748 gallons. 

Periodically water utilities need large investments for construction projects to continue providing customers with reliable, resilient, and safe water. An investment cycle of this scale for TVWD represents a generational-scale investment in TVWD’s water system. When these construction projects occur, the costs to design and build new infrastructure require additional rate increases. The key elements of the 2023-2025 capital improvements are:

• Construction of the Willamette Water Supply Program, a new, joint-owned water source for Washington County scheduled to begin operation in 2026.  
• In-District investments to replace aging water pipes, reservoirs, and pump stations, including seismic resiliency to withstand major earthquakes and other emergencies.
• Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) to improve TVWD’s ability to collect frequent and accurate water usage data for improved billing, leak detection, and water resource management.

Just like your household costs, our costs for utilities, workforce, supplies, and construction are increasing. The current rates are not able to cover the increased costs. Since 2020, the cost of the Willamette Water Supply Program construction has increased by $321 million, with TVWD’s portion being $220 million . The next two years will be the peak spending period for the Willamette Water Supply Program as all components are currently in a construction phase or recently completed. 

Other TVWD cost increases include a 26% increase in the cost for wholesale water from the City of Portland and increased electrical costs to pump water throughout the system.

The Willamette Water Supply Program  is a partnership of TVWD and the cities of Hillsboro and Beaverton. This partnership is designing and constructing the Willamette Water Supply System to provide an additional, resilient water supply for Washington County. When complete, the Willamette Water Supply System will be one of Oregon’s most seismically-resilient water systems—built to better withstand natural disasters, protect public health, and speed regional economic recovery through restoring critical services more quickly. The new system will be completed by July 2026.

Cumulative Willamette Water Supply Program costs are anticipated to be $1.6 billion for planning, engineering, and construction. Oregon and Washington economies are benefiting from the Willamette Water Supply Program: 455 local businesses have worked on the Program, contributing $424 million to the local economy, or 78% of the project costs through 2022. 

 

Staff is working to limit rate increases, control costs, and reduce the impact of inflation and overall budget needs by:

• Effectively managing its operating budget to save almost $14 million during the last budget biennium (2021-2023).
• Actively seeking state and federal assistance to help fund capital improvement projects.
• Coordinating and combining purchasing and construction with other jurisdictions for cost efficiency.
• Aggressive competitive bidding processes.
• Analyzing opportunities to delay or defer projects where possible. 
• Using long-term debt  through tools like the Federal Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act to secure low-interest loans as well as bond financing. 

TVWD recognizes that customers may experience financial hardships that limit the ability to pay a utility bill. TVWD has systems to help customers in a time of need:

• A Customer Emergency Assistance Program provides eligible customers with a one-time per year credit toward their water bill balance. 
• Extended payment arrangements provide you with more time to pay. Extended payment arrangements can be requested via the new Customer Service Portal or by phoning customer service.

More information on both programs can be found at Bill Assistance Programs or contact Customer Service at 503-848-3000 and a TVWD representative can assist you.

In 2022, the Rate Advisory Committee provided the TVWD board with recommendations for additional affordability programs for low-income customers. Those recommendations are in review for future implementation.

TVWD collects system development charges (SDCs), one-time fees paid by any new development, to help fund the construction or expansion of necessary infrastructure, like larger water mains, relocation of existing water system components to avoid conflict with development, adding fire hydrants for protection, and total system capacity to supply water to the growing community. These charges take the burden off existing customers and help keep water rates more affordable.

Water rates are based on a fixed monthly charge and a volume charge based on how much water a customer uses. The fixed monthly change is based on the meter size, which determines the amount of water that can flow to your home or business: the larger the meter, the greater the flow. The volume charge is based on the amount of water consumed.

Customers who use water in excess of peak water volumes are charged a higher volume charge for the water that exceeds the peaking factor (the peak water use divided by the average daily water use). The reason this additional water costs more is that the water system has to be sized to deliver the higher volumes even if that higher amount is only used once in a while. Having a water rate structure that is broken down by blocks, or amounts of water that people typically use, recovers the costs for oversized infrastructure from only those customers that use it.

In addition to paying their fair share of water usage, new homes and businesses must also pay a system development charge (SDC) to connect to the water system. A typical home within a subdivision would pay more than $9,500, per home, to connect to the water system at the time the home is constructed. A business or large meter customer pays SDCs based on their estimated water use. After the service is in operation, TVWD verifies the customer's actual use. In cases where a commercial customer is using more water capacity than they paid for when the SDC was paid, an additional bill for the actual water capacity in use is collected.

TVWD receives revenue from a variety of sources:

• Customer water rates, based on fixed and volume charges.
• System development charges paid by new development.
• Payments from partners for their share of capital project and operation costs, such as for the Willamette Water Supply Program.
• State and federal loans such as the federal Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loan.
• Revenue bonds.
• Reserves and grants, including interest income.
• Other revenue such as meter and service revenue, dispatch fees, backflow program reimbursement, contract reimbursement and other miscellaneous incomes.

Everybody can make a difference by using water more efficiently without much effort or lifestyle change. With a leak or wasted water, you’re paying for something that you’re not using. Small water use changes in the kitchen, laundry room and bathroom can reduce how much water you use every day.

You can help reduce water use and still have beautiful, healthy landscapes with outside landscaping and irrigation strategies. While it may not seem like much, it all adds up. Learn specific strategies to help conserve water on our conservation page.