Summer Water Outlook

You may have noticed it felt like a dry winter in many parts of Oregon. Luckily, precipitation in our basin has been near average this year. Unlike some regions in Oregon, our seasonal water supply is not dependent on snowmelt.

Hillsboro is heading into summer with a full supply of stored water, ready to provide safe and reliable drinking water for our customers.

Summertime sees the highest demand for water, and we rely on two reservoirs to supplement the Tualatin River during warmer weather.

The Barney Reservoir is in the Trask River Watershed. It holds 20,000 acre-feet of water when full, and as of March 3, 2026, it reached its capacity. Of that total, 14,886 acre-feet are available for drinking water. An acre-foot is the amount that covers an acre at a depth of one foot of water and is equal to 325,851 gallons.

The Scoggins Reservoir, also known as Hagg Lake, is located near Gaston. When full, the reservoir stores approximately 59,950 acre-feet of water, of which 13,500 acre-feet is available for drinking water.

Even with our water supply in great shape, conservation is still crucial - especially outdoors, where water use spikes in summer. Outdoor water conservation efforts can make a big impact, helping the environment and lowering your water bill.

To encourage water conservation efforts, a new water use tier was added during the 2025 and 2026 Water Rate Adjustments. With the lowest volume charge in the rate structure, customers who use less, pay less. If you keep your water usage under 4 ccf per month (that's about 3,000 gallons), you'll get the lowest volume charge - just $3.99 per ccf (748 gallons).

Looking ahead, Hillsboro is getting an exciting upgrade. Soon, a year-round water source from the Willamette River is coming to Hillsboro. The Willamette Water Supply System will supplement our current source to ensure our water service continues to be reliable and resilient