To Our Valued Customers of Cloverdale Water District:

Over the course of the last four years the District has completed some minor and major repairs and updates to the Water Plant.  We have put in new water lines from our spring to our collection system along with all new pumps and water works for our distribution system.  These expenses have taken a toll on our general and capital improvement funds.  Additionally, we have seen a substantial increase in our routine operating expenses.  The expenses we accrue over the course of a month, just to simply run the plant and manage the District, have increased approximately 14.91% per year over the course of the last four years.  This is a total increase of 59.62% in a four-year period.  The increase in our income has been de minimis, approximately 2.2% per year, over the course of the last four years.  In budget projections for the next fiscal year, we are looking at an increase in monthly expenses of approximately 18%.  It is the duty and responsibility of the Board of Directors of the Cloverdale Water District to maintain a healthy and balanced budget, along with providing safe, clean drinking water to our community.  In order to keep up with the increased consumer usage and requirements mandated by the State, the Board finds it necessary to increase water rates in order to cover the additional cost of simply doing business. 

It has been a little over four years since our last rate increase.  The District currently has some of the lowest water rates on the Coast.  The Board has taken much pride in keeping the cost to our customers down over the years.  Where this is advantageous to you, it puts the District at a disadvantage for saving for capital expenditures, covering contingencies, staying competitive in regards to wage & benefits and covering our everyday operating costs.  It also hinders the ability to acquire loans and/or grants, should we have a major unforeseen catastrophic event. 

At this time, we are restructuring our rate and fee schedule and proposing a $13 per month base rate increase along with a nearly 50% increase to overage fees.  The new base rate in district will be $45 and out of district will be $61.  Along with the rate increase, we will be restructuring our fee schedule to revise the $25 administration fee.  Currently the administration fee is charged to customers who are sent a delinquent notice upon non-payment at 60 days.  In essence this is a late fee, we will be instating a lessor late fee of 10% per month on delinquent accounts.  This effectively reduces the late fee by $3 per month.  The Board also finds it necessary to increase the fees for commercial bulk water sales.  These increases will allow the District to keep up with the rising cost of doing business and allow us to keep providing clean and safe drinking water to all of you.  They will also aid in paving the way to a healthier and more balanced budget.

A public hearing for this proposal will be held on April 14, 2026 and May 12, 2026, the final reading being on June 09, 2026 at 7:00 pm, at the Cloverdale Sanitary District office, 34540 Highway 101 South, Cloverdale, OR 97112.  The public is welcome and urged to attend any or all of these meetings.

The new rate increase will take effect on your July 2026 billing.  If you have any questions, please call the Cloverdale Water District at 503-392-3515 or you can e-mail us at cloverdalewaterdistrict@outlook.com.

 

Thank you,

The Board of Directors

Cloverdale Water District