The Joint Water Commission (JWC) is the primary drinking water supplier in Washington County, Oregon. Four agencies share ownership in the JWC: the Cities of Hillsboro, Forest Grove, and Beaverton, and the Tualatin Valley Water District (TVWD). Each member agency has individually owned water-related facilities, and varying levels of ownership in the JWC and the JWC’s water treatment, storage, and transmission facilities.
Treatment
After obtaining water from the upper-Tualatin River through the Spring Hill Intake, the raw (or untreated) water is then treated at the JWC Water Treatment Plant in Forest Grove, Oregon. Treatment at the plant consists of conventional media filtration with coagulation, flocculation, and sedimentation processes prior to filtration.
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Transmission
After treatment, finished water is pumped from the JWC Water Treatment Plant via high pressure transmission lines directly to the City of Forest Grove or City of Hillsboro’s distribution systems, or to the Fern Hill Reservoirs.
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Storage
Finished (or treated) water is stored in the Fern Hill Reservoirs. The two 20-Million Gallon (MG) concrete reservoirs are located on a hill approximately one-third mile east of the JWC Water Treatment Plant. The first reservoir has been in operation since 1983, and the second came online in 2006.
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Projects & Plans
Stay in the know about projects to improve, expand, and strengthen the JWC Water Treatment Plant’s facility, capacity, and seismic resiliency and plans detailing long-term water management and conservation efforts.
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