Assocation Newsletter for October 2025

Dear Clarks Branch Water Association Members,

We are writing to update you on important news regarding the Clarks Branch Water Association. All members will be receiving a newsletter in the mail.

New & Departing Board Members

We’re pleased to announce that three new members have been voted onto the board: MacKenzie Lee, Mitch Geyer, and Les Lyons. We thank them for volunteering their time and expertise to help lead our association.

We also want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Chuck Mihevc, who has stepped down from the board after many years of dedicated service. His commitment to our association has been invaluable. 

Lead Exceedance Public Notice for CBWA

In July 2025, we collected 5 samples from homes connected to our water system and analyzed them for lead. Four of the 5 samples were below the action level but one residence came back at elevated levels for lead. We have been in contact with the sampled homeowners and notified our membership immediately through our website and our Facebook group.

Clarks Branch Water Association is focused on protecting the health of every household in our community. We are taking action with guidance from the Oregon Health Authority by following up with additional public education to all our customers and working to determine which corrosion control treatment strategy would be most effective in addressing this situation.

We have included a Lead in Drinking Water pamphlet in this letter so you are aware of the situation. 

Rate Increases & Excessive Water Charges

After careful consideration, the board has approved a rate increase that will take effect on your October water bill. We do not take this decision lightly, but it is a necessary step to address the challenges posed by our aging water treatment system. We’ve been facing regular issues like leaks and failing parts, which result in unexpected and costly repairs. This has made it difficult to keep up with routine maintenance.

The new base water rate will be $110 per month.

Additionally, we are updating the fees for excessive water usage to encourage conservation and reduce the strain on our treatment system. These new rates will also be seen on your October water bill:

  • $20.00 per 1,000 gallons for usage between 5,001 and 10,000 gallons per month.
  • $24.00 per 1,000 gallons for usage between 10,001 and 20,000 gallons per month.
  • $28.00 per 1,000 gallons for usage over 20,000 gallons per month.

Water Storage Tank Expansion Project

We are moving forward with the Water Storage Tank Expansion project that was first announced in 2022. Due to increased construction costs, the project was temporarily delayed. However, we have since been awarded increased funding from the Oregon Business Development Department to continue the work. A pre-construction meeting is scheduled for the end of September.

This project is funded by a substantial grant and a low-interest loan. To cover the loan, a $20 monthly assessment will be added to each member’s water bill beginning in 2026.

We appreciate your understanding and continued support as we work to improve our water infrastructure for the entire community. If you have any questions or concerns, please attend our next board meeting.

Sincerely,

The Clarks Branch Water Association Board

Water Service Has Been Restored

OEC was able to dig up the area and found the leak. We were pleased it was easily accessible and not located under the road. The repair has been made and the hole is getting filled. Water service has been restored.

Special thanks to John and his crew for a quick response for our members. Have a Happy Labor Day Weekend!

Water Shut Off Notice This Morning

Thanks to one of our members, a steady water leak was identified at the intersection of Buckboard and Wagontire. OEC will be addressing the leak this morning, Friday, August 29th. Its estimate water will be shut off from 9:00am to 1:00pm.

If anyone notices a water pooling, patches of green when it’s dry or other signs of water leaks and broke lines, please contact the association or join the CBWA Facebook group.

For emergencies (such as a broken water line on the association side of a meter), please call our plant operators at (541) 643-6137. If you have a water leak on your side of the meter, it is your responsibility to have it repaired.

Lead Exceedance Public Notice For Clarks Branch Water System

Sampling shows elevated lead levels in one of the residents.

Clarks Branch Water Association found elevated levels of lead in drinking water in one home during recent testing.

Download a copy of the complete Lead Exceedance Public Notice For Clarks Branch Water System.

Clarks Branch Water Association may also have tested your home. If they did, you should receive or may have already received these results. These results are specific to your home and may be different from the results taken in other locations. Lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Please read this information closely to see what you can do to reduce lead in your drinking water.

What is an Action Level?

The lead action level is a measure of the effectiveness of the corrosion control treatment in water systems. The action level is not a standard for establishing a safe level of lead in a home. To check if corrosion control is working, EPA requires water systems to test for lead at the tap in certain homes, including those with lead service lines.

Systems compare sample results from homes to EPA’s action level of 0.015 mg/L (15 ppb). If 10 percent of the samples from these homes have water concentrations that are greater than the action level, then the system must perform actions such as public education, adjusting treatment, and lead service line replacement.

What Happened?

In July 2025, we collected 5 samples and analyzed them for lead. Four of the 5 samples were below the action level, but one residence came back at elevated levels for lead of 0.044 mg/l. This spiked the average of the samples to 0.025 mg/l, above the 0.015mg/l Action level.

In speaking with the homeowner, the sample line was stagnant for a week or so prior to the sample and the homes plumbing is over 25 years old. We believe these factors contributed to elevated levels, but they do not invalidate the sample results.

Clarks Branch Water Association is focused on protecting the health of every household in our community; however, lead from service lines and lead plumbing and fixtures can dissolve or break off into water and end up at the faucet. The portion of the water system owned by the water association has no known sources of lead.

We found that customers owned sides of service lines and lead in plumbing in homes are potential sources of lead in your drinking water. This does not mean that every property that receives drinking water from Clarks Branch Water Association has lead in the drinking water. It does mean that you should understand how to reduce your exposure to lead through water. Keep in mind that drinking water is not the only potential source of lead exposure, since lead can be found in air, soil, and paint. For more information on all sources of lead, visit https://www.epa.gov/lead.

What is Being Done?

The actions that we are taking are following Oregon Health Authority listed below.

In addition to the information mentioned above that we will provide to residents at locations we sampled, we
will also be following up with additional public education to all our customers by 8-15-2025.

We are working to determine which corrosion control treatment strategy would be most effective in addressing this situation. We will be taking additional tests to determine if any further action is necessary.
We also plan to take the following steps:

  • We are conducting additional lead and/or water quality monitoring of our water system supply.
  • We are increasing our lead monitoring to determine the extent of the situation.

For more information, please contact John Woody (541-643-6137) or (john@oecadmin.com).

General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk from lead in drinking water are available from EPA’s website.
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Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.

This notice is being sent to you by Clarks Branch Water Association . State Public Water System (PWS) ID#:41-00548.

Date distributed: July 31st, 2025.