DCWA ANNUAL FLUSHING NOTICE

Attention Deerhorn Community Water Association customers!

Part of seasonal water system maintenance involves comprehensive flushing of all piping in our system to remove sediment that has accumulated over the last 12 months. This routine work will happen on April 15, between 8:00 am and 4:30 pm.

We normally start flushing Bridge St first. Next we flush Deerhorn Rd east of Bridge St followed by Deerhorn Rd west of Bridge St. The goal is to finish those first sections by Noon. Finally, we flush Madrone St working east to west, and the far west end of Deerhorn Rd. This could take all afternoon. Please understand that if problems arise it could require adjustments to the route and schedule.

Please be aware that utility workers will be working in the roadways on Wednesday, operating valves and monitoring pressure during the flush. During this time more discolored water will likely be stirred up and some may enter your homes. You can reduce the impact by minimizing your water use while crews are flushing.  You can also close your customer shutoff valve during the flush (your valve is typically located at your water meter on the house side of the meter) and open it back up at the end of the day.

Once the water in the mains is agitated, it may take several hours to settle back down after the flushing ends. The best way to remove discolored water at your home is to start flushing at your front hose spigot until the water runs clear, then your rear hose spigot, then internally at your bath tub. It may take several minutes at each location. This draws in clean water from the pipes in the street to clear the main lines. Lastly, flush water at your individual sinks and toilets. If water is not clearing after a reasonable amount of time, perhaps 15 minutes of good flushing, call the Rainbow Water District office at 541-746-1676.

DEERHORN COMMUNITY WATER ASSOCIATION

Rainbow Water District entered into a contract to start assisting the Deerhorn Community Water Association in January 2016. Rainbow processes monthly water bills and provides the state-licensed operator responsible for overall water system operation. Rainbow supports Deerhorn operators with maintenance, repairs and troublehsooting.

The Deerhorn Community Water Association was established in 1968 as a nonprofit cooperative corporation to serve water to a rural subdivision. Deerhorn's water system uses two wells and two storage reservoirs to serve 121 homes. Deerhorn employs 3 part-time operators to perform daily operations and maintenance.

The annual Association Membership Meeting is held at 7 pm on a Monday in January. Board meetings are held as needed during the year.

Service Line Inventory. Deerhorn was required to inspect all 121 public/private water services within the water system and this project was completed in October 2024. The data staff collected confirmed there are no lead service lines.

View the 2024 DEERHORN INVENTORY and look up your address here (PDF file).

Download the annual Water Quality Report for water quality information.

2024 Deerhorn Water Quality Report2023 Deerhorn Water Quality Report2022 Deerhorn Water Quality Report2021 Deerhorn Water Quality Report

For bill & water questions, call Rainbow Water District at 541-746-1676
Mail bills to: Rainbow Water District, PO Box 8, Springfield, OR 97477

Please call for emergency assistance in the following order:

(1) DCWA Office and System Operators

805-234-5999 Lead Operator Steve Rogers
951-404-6467 Operator Doug Underwood
Operator Brian McMillan

(2) DCWA Board Members

541-896-3715 President Peter Barnett
360-907-5499 Vice President Jeff Graham
719-459-6919 Secretary-Treasurer Star Harmon
541-896-3166 Board Member Ken Kensler
541-556-8087 Board Member Richard Haynes

(3) Rainbow Water District

541-746-1676 RWD Office and 24-hour answering service/dispatcher