Four agencies share ownership in the Joint Water Commission (JWC) including the Cities of Hillsboro, Forest Grove, and Beaverton, and the Tualatin Valley Water District.
All of the agencies serve areas in Washington County and have varying water source supplies and levels of ownership in the Joint Water Commission.
City of Hillsboro: Located in central Washington County with a population of approximately 99,340, the City of Hillsboro Water Department serves the part of City of Hillsboro that lies west of Cornelius Pass Road and south of Highway 26 (Sunset Highway). This fast-growing area has its roots as an agricultural community, but in recent years has attracted enough business and high-tech industry to earn the nickname the “Silicon Forest.” The City of Hillsboro also serves rural western Washington County with a slow-sand filter plant on the upper-Tualatin River. | |
City of Forest Grove: The City of Forest Grove, in western Washington County, is the smallest of the member agencies with a population of approximately 23,500. Forest Grove’s economy is largely based on surrounding agriculture and Pacific University. Forest Grove also has its own treatment plant on Clear Creek. Forest Grove was Hillsboro’s original partner when the Joint Water Commission first formed in 1976. | |
City of Beaverton: The City of Beaverton is located in eastern Washington County and has a population of approximately 95,000. Its economy is largely based on electronics, light industry, and commercial retail. The City provides water service to a population of approximately 70,000, with the remainder served by TVWD, West Slope Water District, and Raleigh Water District. Beaverton has actively developed Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) technology since 1998 and has two active ASR wells and additional two (2) MGD drilled well that will come on line in 2019. These wells are filled (recharged) with JWC water, storing up to 850 million gallons underground in the winter months when supplies are ample and then used to supplement summer supply when demands increase due to outdoor water use. | |
Tualatin Valley Water District: The Tualatin Valley Water District (TVWD) is one of the largest water providers in Oregon. The District encompasses more than 45 square miles and includes about 222,000 people in portions of the cities of Beaverton, Hillsboro, Tigard, and unincorporated Washington County. In addition to the Joint Water Commission, TVWD purchases a portion of its water from the City of Portland. Water supplied from Portland comes from the Bull Run Watershed and the Columbia South Shore Wellfield. TVWD also supplements its supplies with stored, treated drinking water underground in the aquifer surrounding the Grabhorn Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) well. |