Title
Update on the Joint Engineering Study Requested by both the City of Oregon City and Clackamas River Water
Body
RECOMMENDED ACTION (Motion):
The staff of Clackamas River Water District (CRW) and Oregon City (City), along with our consultant, Murraysmith, will be presenting an update to both the City Commission and the CRW Board on the work accomplished to date. The update will share tentative areas of staff agreement and identify next steps for the Joint Engineering Study as well as next steps beyond the scope of the Joint Engineering Study. This update will outline a road map for ongoing and future water service along the current periphery of Oregon City and the Urban Growth Boundary (UGB).
BACKGROUND:
The City of Oregon City and the Clackamas River Water District provide potable water to customers in the urban and rural areas south of the Clackamas River. Currently, both water providers’ customers within the Oregon City area are supplied water by the South Fork Water Board’s (SFWB’s) water treatment plant (WTP).
For years, Oregon City and the CRW have been working under a variety of existing agreements pertaining to water distribution, several of which are expired but are still being honored. Beginning in 2013, the City and the CRW started discussions about the need for boundary clean-up and the CRW’s plans to provide CRW-treated water over the Carver Bridge and onto the south side of the Clackamas River (CRW Backbone Project). Without this new CRW Backbone Project, water supply to the greater Oregon City area (south of the Clackamas River) has only been provided via the South Fork Water Board.
Also in 2013, the CRW and the Sunrise Water Authority (SWA) had entered an agreement which could have resulted in the CRW changing from a “District” and becoming an “Authority.” This change could have also limited the City’s ability to withdraw CRW territory and purse more customers inside the City Urban Service Boundary.
In December 2013, the City and the So...
Click here for full text