WELCOME TO SUNRISE WATER AUTHORITY!
WHAT YOU'LL FIND ON OUR WEBSITE
Our mission is “To provide quality water at a reasonable price, supplying excellent customer service with great employees.” We have updated our website to better serve our customers. You will be able to find important information related to customer service, billing, conservation, water quality, our system, new projects, the Board of Commissioners, and meeting information.
SUMMER QUICK TIPS
Water In Shifts:
Prevent run-off by splitting your watering times into two or more applications with breaks in between. This watering practice promotes deeper root growth, fostering a healthier landscape that is more resistant to dry weather.
Be An Early Bird Irrigator:
Early morning watering gets more water to the roots, instead of losing it to evaporation. It also washes bacteria and fungus spores off plants. As the day warms, plants dry off quickly, preventing plant diseases and promoting a healthier lawn and garden.
Soak Or Drip:
Consider using soaker hoses or drip irrigation. These apply water directly to the plant roots, reducing waste from evaporation or run-off.
Sense The Rain:
When it rains, use the manual override or install a rain sensor that automatically turns off your irrigation system when it starts raining.
Water-Smart Gardeners Pick Water-Smart Plants:
Native and drought-resistant plants look beautiful and save water.
It's Not Just A Yard, It's A Home:
Adding native plants to gardens helps provide habitat for local wildlife and enhances the native regional character of the Northwest.
A Little Goes A Long Way:
Native and drought tolerant plants survive well on rainfall and need little supplemental water once established.
Pick A Favorite:
Some native plants that are water efficient include: Mountain Laurel, Lupine, Vine Maple, Currant, Bleeding Heart, and Sword Fern.
Too Much Of A Good Thing:
Over-watering causing 75% of turf problems! Signs of over-watering your lawn include: grass blades that turn a lighter shade of green or yellow, young shoots that are wilted, moss and mushrooms, and soil that is constantly damp.
An Idea Full Of Holes:
Aerating lawns annually helps water and fertilizer reach the roots. Aeration can renew compacted soil, allowing water and air to reach the roots of your lawn.
Eco-Friendly Fertilizer For Free:
Consider a mulching mower which chops the grass and leaves it on your lawn as a natural fertilizer.
Grow Tall, Mow Often:
Leave lawns longer to retain more moisture in the soil. This protects the roots from the sun and encourages deeper root growth.
Top Your Soil:
Adding compost or mulch to your soil helps hold water in and minimize evaporation by keeping the soil covered and cooled.
The Sponge Effect:
Compost and mulch hold water like a sponge, slowly releasing water when your plants need it.
Stop That Runaway Terrain:
Healthy soils also slow down erosion of sediments to rivers and streams.
WHAT IS A “UNIT” OF WATER?
For most water providers in the Metro area, a “unit” of water is one hundred cubic feet of water. One hundred cubic feet equals 748 gallons. If you water bill says you used 20 units, it’s really saying that you used 20 times 748, or 14,960 gallons of water. When you get your bill and compute the actual amount of water, Don’t Panic. It may seem like a huge amount of water. Keep in mind that almost everyone uses way more water in the summer than in the winter. It goes on lawns, shrubs, flowers, swimming pools, etc. If you would like to lower your water bill, check out the tips on our Conservation Page at:
http://www.sunrisewater.com/conservation.aspx
Or on the Regional Water Providers Consortium Conservation Website at:
http://www.conserveh2o.org/.
REGIONAL RATE STUDY
How do Sunrise Water's rates compare to the region? Here are some of the results of a residential regional rate study of the Portland Metropolitan Drinking Water Providers. An average residential customer uses approximately 14 ccf (ccf is a hundred cubic feet of water or 748 gallons) for in-home consumptive use every two months. The following rates include consumption and service (base) charges that would reflect a bi-monthly billing.
Agency Water Bills at 14 ccf Consumption
Sunrise Water Authority $24.80
Oak Lodge Water District $26.71
Clackamas River Water North $25.81
Clackamas River Water South $46.70
Oregon City $48.84
Portland $31.42
Tualatin Valley WD $36.58
For more information on the regional rates at different levels of consumption, please click on the following the link below.
Regional Residential Water Rate Study
WATER QUALITY REPORT
The quality of the water delivered to Sunrise Water Authority customers is excellent. The Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Act establishes water quality requirements for drinking water that all agencies must meet. All drinking water agencies are required to produce an annual water quality report, called Consumer Confidence Reports, and distribute it to all customers. This report is a comprehensive summary of the tests administered and the results obtained on water delivered to customers. Sunrise customers can have confidence in the quality of their drinking water. For further information, please take a look at the Consumer Confidence Water Quality Reports that have been submitted by Sunrise Water Authority. The 2006 Consumer Confidence Report will be published in June 2007.
SWA’s Consumer Confidence Water Quality Report 2006
SWA’s Consumer Confidence Water Quality Report 2005
For more information on water quality please click on the following link.
http://www.sunrisewater.com/waterquality.aspx
Please feel free to contact Sunrise Staff if you have any questions or concerns.
Sunrise Water Authority
10602 SE 129th Ave.
Happy Valley, OR 97086
Phone: (503) 761-0220
Fax: (503) 761-7406
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