To prepare for the 2025 and 2026 rate setting process, Hillsboro Water formed a Community Advisory Panel of community members to give their informed perspective on improving the rate structure.

The panel provided recommendations about single-and multi-family residential rates that incentivize water conservation and provide residents with more opportunities to save. Their recommended changes were included in the proposal and will be piloted in 2025 and 2026.

Community Advisory Panel Recommendations

#1 Keep the Fixed Charge the Same

The fixed charge of $21.94 will remain the same for 2025 and 2026. By holding the fixed charge, customers have more control over their bill through conservation efforts impacting the water use charge.  

#2 Create a new water use tier to reward conservation efforts

In previous Hillsboro Water rate structures, volume charges were divided into three categories, with 0-8ccf being the lowest pried tier. Now, an additional tier of 0-4ccf will be the lowest priced tier. Customers can lower their monthly bill through conservation efforts, or benefit from the lower price for the first 4ccf.

#3 Encourage water conservation in multi-family complexes with higher peaking charges for water used above the winter average.

Multi-family residential customers are those properties with four or more residential units, including apartments and condos, served by one water meter. The average monthly usage (Winter Average) for Multi-Family Residential is calculated from November 1 through April 30. Monthly usage above the Winter Average (Peaking Charge) is billed at a higher rate. The Peaking Charge will be increased more than the Winter Average to incentivize water conservation

Rate Changes for Single-Family Residential Customers

As approved by the Utilities Commission, the drinking water portion of the utility bill for a typical residential customer* will increase by:

• $2.84 on January 1, 2025 (from $50.34 in 2024 to $53.18 in 2025) — or 5.7%
  
  
• $3.04 on January 1, 2026 (from $53.18 in 2025 to $56.22 in 2026) — or 5.7%

*Typical Residential Customer: About 91% of Hillsboro Water’s customers are single-family residential. On average, 80% of those use around 6,000 gallons of water or less each month.

Rate Changes by Customer Category

The actual percentage water rate increase on the water portion of a customer’s City utility bill may vary based on meter size and individual usage patterns.

Water rate adjustments do not affect the amounts of other charges or fees on the city utility bill, including sanitary sewer, surface water management, and transportation services.

How Does Hillsboro Compare?

With the approved increases, Hillsboro’s water rates will continue to be one of the lowest among local agencies. The list below compares water rates from nearby cities based on 8ccf, or 6,000 gallons for single family residential customers. 

• City of Forest Grove: $39.59
• City of Tualatin: $42.20
• City of Hillsboro (Current): $50.34
• City of Hillsboro (2025): $53.18
• City of Hillsboro (2026): $56.22
• City of Beaverton: $68.70
• City of Portland: $77.24
• City of North Plains: $84.10
• Tualatin Valley Water District: $94.57
  

Community members are invited to ask questions and provide feedback on water rates year-round.

• Call 503-615-6702
• Email Hillsboro Water
• In person or by mail: 150 East Main Street, Third Floor, Hillsboro, Oregon 97123
• In person or virtually at the Utilities Commission Monthly Meetings. 

The City of Hillsboro utility bill includes charges and fees for the following services provided by the City and Clean Water Services: 

• Sanitary Sewer
• Surface Water Management
• Transportation
• Drinking Water

A 2024 monthly utility bill for a typical residential customer costs about $132.74:

• Sanitary Sewer: $58.44
• Surface Water Management: $14.86
• Transportation: $9.11
• Drinking Water: $50.34  

Hillsboro’s drinking water rates make up approximately 38% of a residential customer’s total city utility bill. 

A residential customer in Hillsboro typically uses about 6,000 gallons of water each month, which currently costs about $50.34 (or $1.62 a day).

Six-thousand gallons includes ALL of these water-related activities:

• 120 5-minute showers
• 26 loads of laundry
• 15 baths
• 25 dishwasher loads
• 600 toilet flushes
• 20 small lawn waterings

The most significant factors determining Hillsboro's water rates include:

Protection of Public Health

Supplying customers with safe and reliable drinking water is Hillsboro Water's highest priority. The state and federal governments set stringent standards for water safety. Hillsboro Water protects the water system and ensures the water delivered to local homes and businesses meets these standards, and is safe to drink and use, through: 

• Monitoring,
• Testing,
• Treatment,
• Source protection,
• Risk Assessment, and
• Emergency response planning.

Additional Water Supply

The Tualatin Valley Water District and the cities of Hillsboro and Beaverton are partnering to develop the Willamette River in Wilsonville as an additional water supply source.

The large scale, seismically-resilient water project is currently under construction, and includes building:

• A new state-of-the-art water treatment plant in Sherwood,
• Reservoirs in Beaverton, and
• More than 30 miles of large-diameter transmission pipeline from the Willamette River to Hillsboro.

This new, reliable water supply, along with Hillsboro’s current water supply — the upper-Tualatin River — will support growth and provide an additional supply for Hillsboro residents and businesses for decades to come. 

Maintaining Essential Infrastructure

From treatment plants to reservoirs to pipelines, much of the system that delivers water to and around Hillsboro was built decades ago.

Hillsboro Water strategically upgrades, repairs, and in some cases replaces aging parts of the system to deliver safe, reliable drinking water to customers. 

Resources & Links 

 August 13, 2024 Utilities Commission Meeting Packet

September 10, 2024, Utilities Commission Meeting Packet

Water Rates Public Hearing Presentation in English and Español. 

City of Hillsboro 2024 Water Rate Study Presentation