Test Your Irrigation Backflow Assembly Every Year

Your sprinkler system is equipped with a backflow assembly designed to prevent harmful pollutants like fertilizers and pet waste from contaminating your home’s drinking water. Annual testing by a state-certified tester is required.

Water can only flow one direction when the backflow assembly is open. When it’s closed, the system keeps your home's drinking water free from potential yard pollutants.

Stormwater and Why it is Important

Stormwater is any water that collects on and runs off of land. It sounds harmless, right? But in urban areas where impervious surfaces like rooftops, driveways and paved streets prevent soil from absorbing stormwater, fast-flowing runoff can collect a variety of pollutants, washing them down storm drains directly into the Deschutes River, or towards our groundwater supply. The Stormwater Program protects our river and drinking water, regardless of your water supplier.

Those concave landscape features are stormwater facilities. Keep yours open and clear of debris.

Not the Same as Sewer Pipes

Bend’s stormwater collection pipes are an entirely separate system from sewer pipes. Our storm drains lead to underground injection facilities, the piped system to the river and landscape facilities. (see image below - left: underground injection facilities; center: the piped system to the river; right: landscape facilities)

Only rain down the storm drain.

Protect our water by reporting spills and illegal dumping by calling 541-317-3000, Ext. 2.

At the City of Bend Water Reclamation Facility, wastewater is not wasted. It is cleaned through a series of treatment processes at the Water Reclamation Facility to make the water safe for reuse. Two environmentally safe products are the result:

• Class A water - clean enough to use for irrigation
• Class A biosolids - approved for use as agriculture and home landscape fertilizer and soil amendment

A safe and healthy sewer system is a continuous work in progress. Protecting and properly maintaining the public infrastructure needed to collect and treat wastewater is important. Here are some simple ways to help avoid costly repairs to both public infrastructure and your own private pipes in homes or businesses.

Don't Flush Disposable Wipes

Keep pipes healthy by never NEVER flushing disposable wipes (even those labeled as “flushable”) - put them into the garbage for safe disposal. Learn more about what is SAFE and is NOT safe to flush.

Prevent Sewer Back Ups

Blockages can backup wastewater into streets or back into your home. Yuck! Scrape dishes, pots, pans and cooled grease/fats into the garbage instead of the sink. Compost food scraps instead of using a garbage disposal.

City of Bend's water, sewer and stormwater services are combined into one bill, but not all customers receive all three services. For example, those living outside the City's water service area could have a different water service provider. The paragraphs below explain how your water use is measured and charged, how you can pay for it, and where you can go for more information.

Water Service Charges

Water service charges include a monthly base charge determined by meter size, service location (inside/outside of city limits) and a water volume (consumption) charge, as measured by your water meter. One unit equals 100 cubic feet (748 gallons).

Sewer Service Charges

Sewer service charges consist of monthly base and volume charges for the amount of water that goes into sewer pipes. Volume charges are based on Winter Quarter Average (WQA). WQA is the average water usage in the billing periods of December, January and February of each year. Measuring use during winter months helps to exclude water used for outdoor irrigation. For non-residential rate information visit our website at bendoregon.gov/nonresidential.

Stormwater Charges

Stormwater fees are based on impervious surface coverage per Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU). One ERU is equal to 3,800 square feet of impervious surface coverage, the average amount for a single-family residence in Bend.

Paying Your Bill

Utility charges are based on a 30-day billing cycle. Automatic payments are the easiest way to keep your City of Bend Utility account current and can be set up:

We also offer the following payment options for your convenience:

• Pay Online: invoicecloud.com/bendorutility (or Water Services Billing for instructions)
• By phone: 541-388-5515
• Drop box: City Hall, 710 NW Wall Street parking lot (no cash please)
• In person: 639 NW Franklin Avenue (8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., M-F excluding holidays)
• U.S. Mail: (Check or money order only. Please include your statement coupon.)
  City of Bend Water Services Payments
  P.O. Box 34533
  Seattle, WA 98124-1533

Bend is Growing, Our Water Supply Isn't

By doing more with less, we can help extend Bend’s water supply well into the future. That’s good news for everyone – water customers save on monthly bills, the City conserves a precious resource, and the community continues to enjoy a healthy environment for generations to come. It’s a lot easier to save water than you might think.

Save Water. Save Money.

Inside Your Home

• Replace old toilets with high-efficiency models that conserve water with every flush
• Add faucet aerators to improve bath and kitchen faucet efficiency
• Upgrade shower heads to energy efficient, low-flow models
• Order a free indoor water conservation kit at waterwisetips.org

Outside Your Home

• Use low-water landscape plants that are hardy in Central Oregon
• Make regular irrigation schedule adjustments as weather changes
• Eliminate irrigation overspray and runoff into the street
• Request a free sprinkler inspection on our website

*Chart data: Water Research Foundation

Maintaining Your Water System

Providing safe, reliable water services to our customers is our highest priority, but we can’t do it alone. Water delivery officially enters your property at the city-owned meter. General maintenance and repairs of your home (or business) water system – including water and sewer lines, irrigation and stormwater systems – is your responsibility and a critical part of keeping your home and water safe and healthy.

Easement Access

Pipes, pumps and other public infrastructure of water, stormwater and sewer utilities may exist on private property. It is important that City of Bend Water Services staff have access to these areas to service and maintain the system. If we have an easement on your property (includes the water meter box), please ensure it is kept free of fences, gardens, sheds, playground toys, etc. Link to more information about utility easement access.

Keep your meter box free of landscaping and debris so City of Bend Water Services workers can easily access it.

Do you know where your home's private water shut-off valve is located? Before you have a leak or emergency, it’s important to know how to use your private water shut-off valve.

Questions about easement access? Call 541-317-3000, Ext 2.