Water Distribution

To make sure there is enough water available for our customers and for fire protection, eight reservoirs with a total capacity of 21 million gallons are located throughout the city. Booster stations pump water up from the Taylor Plant to the reservoirs, which are located on hills around town. Once the water is in the reservoirs, it can then flow by gravity to homes and businesses in town as it is needed. 

Water from the Rock Creek Plant is gravity-fed from Marys Peak to the Baldy Reservoir through a 20-inch water transmission line nearly nine miles long. The Baldy Reservoir is located on Reservoir Road and is the largest and oldest drinking water reservoir in Corvallis. It was built in 1936 by the Civilian Conservation Corps and has a capacity of 7.5 million gallons. 

The reservoirs, treatment plants, booster stations, and the thousands of service lines leading to homes, schools, and businesses are all connected by about 252 miles of distribution pipe buried under the streets of Corvallis. The largest pipe in the system is a 48-inch diameter transmission line that feeds the North Hills Reservoirs. The smallest pipes are 3/4 inch in diameter; they are service lines leading to homes and small businesses. Each year about $500,000 is spent replacing and upgrading water mains and City service lines to insure uninterrupted water service. 

Water Distribution System Facility Plan 

In July 1998, the City completed a water distribution system facility plan update. The facility plan is the long-term planning document that evaluates the existing water distribution system, identifies the planned growth for the community, projects water demand that will accompany the growth, and recommends improvements to the water distribution system. Projects already complete include a new pump station at the Baldy reservoir to improve service to west Corvallis, and the installation of emergency generators at key booster stations throughout the city. The new generators will help maintain water service to customers in the event of a power outage. A copy of the facility plan is available for viewing at the Corvallis / Benton County Public Library. 

The Public Works Department urges all customers to use water wisely to help assure an adequate supply of clean water for the future.