2023 Summer Is Turning Out to Be Very Dry

July 16, 2023
Otter Rock’s only water source is three springs on the lower flanks of Cape Foulweather which are recharged by rainfall. Unfortunately, this year, we have seen almost no rain since April.

Since we are having such an early dry season this year and no rain in sight, we're asking everyone to prepare for a possible water shortage later in the summer and on into the fall. 

Even though spring flow has slowed considerably and our springs are still providing adequate water, the Board wants everyone to be informed and to be prepared. We are not asking customers to conserve at this point, but if you have any projects planned that use a large amount of water, please do them soon. If we do have a serious water shortage, we may need to restrict water usage for non-household uses. Also, this would be a good time to check for any water leaks in, under and around your buildings.

For information on possible water restrictions that could be put in place, please read the  WaterCurtailment Ordinance 2019-01 on this website.

For ways to conserve water, please see our Water Conservation page on this website.
Thank you,
Your Otter Rock Water District Board 

Board Positions and Election Results

The Otter Rock Water District is pleased to announce the results of the recent election held during the May 16, 2023 special election. Of the three positions that were up for election, Eileen Goldhammer won the election for position #2 which she had previously filled by appointment in July of 2022.  Starting in July 2023, the district will be welcoming our newest commissioner, Kellie Lombardi, who won the election for position #3. Both Eileen and Kellie will be sworn in at the July 11, 2023 monthly board meeting for their upcoming terms which run until June 30, 2027.

One Unfilled Board Position Remains

There is still one position open, position #5. The term for position #5, which must be filled by appointment. This position's term runs until June 30, 2027.

To inquire about the position or to apply for appointment, please contact Commissioner Lisa Hall. You will be sent an application form to fill out and return. Applications will be due by the weekend before the next board meeting.

Board members (Commissioners) are unpaid volunteers, and must be an "elector of the district" (registered to vote as a resident of the district). Monthly board meetings are regularly held on the Tuesday after the second Monday of each month. Board members review and approve bills and contracts, make policy decisions, and provide general oversight of the function of the water district. In addition to attending the board’s monthly meetings, commissioners are assigned additional duties or projects by the board.

For more information on the role of the board of commissioners, see the “Special Board Member Handbook” and other documents on the Board Reference page on this  website.

ORWD Autopay Program

Otter Rock Water District began charging late fees in the month of September 2022. The District also began an Autopay program in the month of September 2022. If you pay monthly by check, consider signing up for our Autopay program by filling out and returning the ACH Debit Authorization Form to our office. This form must be returned by the first of the month to begin the Autopay program for that month. See ORWD Autopay for more information.

Chlorination System Active

On October 12th 2021, Hiland Water completed installing the required chlorination system and the facility has obtained final approval from Oregon Health Authority (OHA).

Our water is now chlorinated after leaving the large storage tank on its way to town. Excess water that overflows from the tanks into the creek is not chlorinated.

The amount of chlorine in the distribution system will be kept as low as possible while still providing a detectable level of chlorine everywhere in the system, as required by OHA. You may notice some variability in chlorine levels for a while as the chlorination system is tested and adjusted.

Water District Meetings

The board holds regular monthly meetings as well as special work session meetings, special information meetings and budget committee meetings. For information on the upcoming scheduled meetings see the District Meetings page or the individual meeting pages. All currently scheduled meetings are also accessible from the lower portion of the Home page. 

How to attend district meetings online  

Instructions for attending district meetings online are included on each meeting notice and agenda.  To attend with video and audio, you will need to download  free Zoom meeting software.  If you have not downloaded the software, a prompt from Zoom should appear asking permission to do so.

To attend by phone (audio only) without downloading software, follow the instructions on meeting notice.

For community members on the district news email list, a direct invitation with a link and a phone number will be sent.  If you are not on that email list, and wish to be added, contact orwdcom4@gmail.com.  By Oregon law, no district board meetings or board work sessions, in person or online or by phone, can occur without public notice and access.

Notices and agendas will be posted for all  public meetings convened by the district.

All public meetings will be recorded and links to those recordings will be posted on the website as a public record.  In addition, an archive of all meeting recordings will be maintained.

New water operator services

Starting July 1, 2021, we began a new fiscal year with a new water operator. Hiland Water Corp provides the water district with water operator services. They are a company that provides water services to a number of small water systems in the area, in fact right next door to Otter Rock for Beverly Beach Water District, and Johnson Creek Water for the Inn at Otter Crest and Seacrest. If you need to contact our water operator, call the Hiland office at 503-554-8333 or toll free 855-554-8333. Their office hours are M-F 9:00-12:00 and 1:00-4:00 daily, but they have an answering service who can contact the water operator for emergencies outside their regular hours.

Office operates on part-time basis

We are a small water district and our office operates on a part-time, as-needed schedule. Our office is open to the public by appointment only, but our office email is monitored almost daily. If you have an urgent concern and have any trouble communicating via the office phone or email, you probably know how to reach the community volunteers who serve as board members...or your neighbor does. For non-urgent issues, the office and board members can also be reached by email through this website.