Residential

Rivergrove Water District’s water source is groundwater that comes from wells we have drilled into the Columbia River Basalt Aquifer. We currently have 3 wells that adequately supply our current demand.

The rate that applies to most of our customers is for a 3/4-inch water meter. For this sized meter, the bi-monthly rate is as follows: a service fee of $47.70 and a water usage fee of $3.84 per 100 cubic feet. (There are approximately 748 gallons of water per 100 cubic feet.). Larger meters have different rates and the rate schedule for these meters is available at the District office.

A meter reading service reads the meters every 2 months. The time between the current meter read and the previous meter read is approximately 2 months of water use. District staff processes the information and generates your bill. Bills are mailed out approximately on the 15th of February, April, June, August, October, and December. The due date for these bills is the 10th of the following month. (For example, bills sent out around February 15th are due and payable on the 10th of March.) Customers whose accounts are not paid are considered delinquent and risk having their water turned off as well as additional fees charged to their account to turn their water back on.

Miscellaneous Fees. The following fees are charged to customers for delinquent accounts, continual account delinquencies, water service dispatch fees, NSF check processing, and clearing impediments grown around and blocking the meter:

Type of Assessment & Fee Amount

The District offers many convenient ways to pay your bill.

Payments are accepted by credit or debit card on our website. The District also has Autopay available. Just call the office and we will send you a form. You can also go to the Resources section of our website, select Customer Resources, and select the autopay application form you need for checking or credit card.

Other payment options include mailing your payment to the District office or directly dropping payments off at the District office.

Pay Your Bill Online

You can pay online with a credit or debit card. You can use this feature by registering your account or by simply using the Quick Pay option. Please be advised the credit card company and payment center charge a $3.60 convenience fee. The District does not control or receive any portion of this fee.

Pay Online Now

Currently, the District does not offer paperless billing. We have explored paperless billing and found it to be cost-prohibitive to a District of our size. It would only be a feasible option if 1/3 of our customers opted for this feature. The majority of our customers prefer paper statements. Based on our billing volume, we can provide the billing invoice, postage, single-page colored newsletter, and return envelope for a nominal fee of $0.7 for each account. This is a very competitive price which helps keep customer costs down.

To continuously improve our service, we will monitor whether a paperless option becomes a sound, economical option for the District in the future.

It is not possible to quote an “average cost” for water. The cost depends upon many variables including the size of the family, water-use habits, and how often you irrigate your yard.

First, turn off all the water both inside and outside your home. Make sure there is no water usage while you check the meter. If the dials or hands turn, water goes through the meter. This would indicate there is a leak somewhere in your plumbing.

Before calling a plumber, check the toilets with this simple test. Put a few drops of food coloring in the water tank of your toilets. Do not flush. Wait for 15 minutes and then check the bowl of the toilet. If there is food coloring in the bowl, then the tank is leaking and the leak will need to be fixed.

The customer is responsible for repairing and maintaining the water lines between the meter and their home. If a leak occurs on “your side” of the meter, you are responsible for repairing that leak. In addition, any extra water registered through the meter due to a leak on “your side” will be billed at the standard rate. The District has a leak adjustment credit for those customers who qualify. Contact the District office and speak with our General Manager for details and the necessary forms to apply for the leak credit if you have a leak on your side of the meter and have proof of the leak repair.

A minimum of 4 microbiological water samples are taken at various sites in the District Water system each month. We also test the water for chemical makeup and possible contaminant levels at Alexin Analytical of Oregon, a state Certified Water Testing Laboratory. If you wish additional information about our water testing and results, our lab telephone number is (503) 639-9311.

Periodically, water samples are sampled from residences within the District and analyzed for lead and copper levels. These water tests are done according to the required guidelines of the Drinking Water Program of the Oregon Health Authority. The telephone number to contact the Oregon Health Authority Drinking Water Program is (503) 731-4899.

The District has a curb stop that shuts off each meter. Customers and contractors are not allowed to operate the curb stop. The curb stop is property of the Water District and it takes a special tool to turn the handle. If a customer or contractor uses this stop and turns it off with a crescent wrench or any other type of tool, it could result in damage to the curb stop. When the curb stop is damaged the entire main has to be shut down in order to fix it. This would put some or all of your neighbors out of water for a time and create a great deal of inconvenience and expense.

The District requires all customers to install a master shut-off valve, as close to the meter location as practical, to use in shutting off water to their property. The master shut-off valve controls the entire water supply from the service. Remember, operation by any customer or contractor of the district's curb stop in the meter box is prohibited. If you damage a curb stop, you and your contractor will be liable to the District for the associated reasonable expenses incurred for repair of the curb stop.

If you would like your water meter off during business hours to do repairs or to install a master supply valve please call the District office and our staff will do a meter shut-off. It is critical for a homeowner to locate or install a master shut-off valve. As most of us know, water pipes breaking or basements flooding usually do not happen during business hours. When pipes break and flooding occurs, you cannot afford to waste precious minutes.

If you have a water emergency, call the office at (503) 635-6041 during normal business hours, Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and speak with our staff. If an emergency occurs after office hours, call the same number and our answering service will make the necessary contact with our on-call water operator. The on-call operator will then contact you directly to evaluate the situation and determine what type of response is needed.

Disaster can strike at any time and in any community. Rivergrove Water takes special measures to protect both the availability and quality of your water supply. Although no amount of preparation can prevent a disaster, you can plan to limit its effects. One of the most important supplies to have on hand in the event of a disaster is safe drinking water.

A good rule of thumb is to store 1 gallon of water per person per day. You should plan for at least 14 days in the event of a major disaster. For example, a family of 4 should store 12 gallons of water, 1 for each person, and enough for 14 days. For storage, as a general rule, change your emergency water supply at least every 6 months to ensure freshness.

As a general rule, the District maintains, repairs, or replaces the water meter as well as the box in which it is housed. Please contact the office as soon as possible to report a problem. If a repair or replacement is required due to negligence of the homeowner, the District will charge a fee for the repair and/or replacement work and the customer will be billed accordingly. Each customer should use reasonable care and diligence to keep the meter and meter box free from dirt due to mole infiltration as well as protect the water meter and meter box from loss or damage by traffic hazards, landscaping obstructions, and other causes.

The District must have free access to the water meter and meter box for routine maintenance and meter readings. Customers who allow impediments (e.g., dirt in meter boxes, plants, trees, fences, structures, etc.) to restrict access will be charged the actual cost of removal of those impediments.

No! The Rivergrove Water District only provides potable water to its customers. The City of Lake Oswego provides some sewer service in some areas of the District. If you are on sewer or would like more information about sewer service please call Lake Oswego at (503) 635-0265.

Fluoride is not added to the water. Our water quality lab tests have shown the amount of natural fluoride to be less than 0.5 parts per million. For comparison, 1 part per million is equivalent to 1 cent in 10 thousand or a drop in a million drops. This means that in 1 million drops of water, there is less than ½ drop of fluoride.

The water from our wells is moderately hard. For additional information concerning hardness and customer choices on water softening, please check out our resources on ways to deal with hard water.

• Rivergrove Water Information (PDF)

No! A standard vinyl garden hose is made with substances to keep it flexible. These chemicals can be harmful to you.

We recommend using cold water. Hot water is more likely to contain rust, copper, and lead from your household plumbing and water heater.

Since 1957, the Rivergrove Water District has never had to ask customers to conserve water. That does not mean that conservation of this natural resource will not be needed in the future and that customers should make an effort to use it wisely.

If the district finds it necessary to alert our customers to conserve water or a possible boil water notice, these requests are done through the local media, TV, radio, and newspapers as well as this website.

Please look and listen specifically for the rivergrove water district when these messages are given. **Remember, your water provider is the rivergrove water district and we have an independent source for water supply.** Our water source is not connected to Portland or Lake Oswego.