L A K E O S W E G O - T I G A R D WAT E R PA R T N E R S H I P
LO Tigard City Councilors tour WTP
Drinking water is a critical service for public health, fire safety and economic development. In the state of Oregon, two cities are revamping their existing drinking water infrastructure to meet increasing demands and provide high quality drinking water year-round. The Lake Oswego and Tigard Project is a partnership agreement between the cities of Lake Oswego and Tigard. While the Partnership was established in 2008, the idea was first conceived in 2005 when the partner cities commissioned a study of the costs and benefits of a partnership for joint water supply. 72
December 2014
“In 2007 the completed study concluded each city would realize significant financial benefit by jointly constructing and operating an expanded water supply system. The financial upside of a partnership was attractive enough to elected officials of the two cities to proceed with a year-long effort to negotiate the terms and conditions of an intergovernmental agreement forming the partnership. “That agreement was signed in August 2008 and then we were on our way”, said Joel Komarek, Project Director. The project will upgrade, upsize and expand six existing facilities