When Hyundai came to town with its request for 2.5 million gallons of water a day, to increase to 9 million for its planned third phase of development, residents expressed concern at allotting this much water for the purpose of diluting the toxic stew of chemicals used in the production of computer chips. EWEB assured the public that there was enough water, albeit that the necessity for system expansion would come sooner. That day has come.

The current available water supply is 72 million gallons a day. There are, of course, seasonal and diurnal peaks, but the average use at present amounts to only 17 million gallons a day during the winter, up to 45 million during the summer. However, the system has hit peaks of 68 million a day, perilously close to zero point. Based on current population projections -- about which no planner or official ever asks "Can we grow this much?" Should we grow this much?" "What will be the quality of life if such growth continues?" -- the area's water supply is expected to be eclipsed by 2005, just six and a half short years away.

The EWEB Water Working Group held an open house on June 30 [1998] to discuss possibilities. They claim that there will be no danger of the area EWEB serves outgrowing its watershed, asserting that there is plenty of water in the McKenzie, in the Willamette, and in the underground aquifer. The Group is simply looking at the most effective way to tap the sources for another 20 million gallons a day, and have come up with short-term, midterm, and long-term plans.

In the short-term, the next 3-5 years, the Group is recommending more conservation and will offer audits of homes and businesses to determine appropriate conservation measures. They hope to achieve the utility's aims through voluntary compliance, but admit they may need to use the rate structure. Members of the audience pointed out that such a rate structure ought to reward those who use less water and penalize those who use more, and that special rates should be considered for low-income users.

There are two possibilities in the midterm, the most expensive being the expansion of the Hayden Bridge Filtration Plant. The other option is to add the daily 20 million-gallon supply in increments of 5 million, by gradually adding wells to the system. People expressed a lot of concern regarding protecting the wells from contamination, but EWEB officials responded that the well sites were not in problem areas and would be carefully monitored. There is concern, however, about the possibility of taking too much from the aquifer.

The long-term option is drawing water from the middle fork of the Willamette, which spokesmen said does not have the contamination problems of other parts of the Willamette.

A lot of concern was expressed by citizens regarding big water users. EWEB claimed that if a serious shortage developed, the big water users would be curtailed first. In response to the question of whether new big users coming to town would simply be accommodated, the answer was not "no", only that EWEB "has shut-off authority," and has, since Hyundai, developed a policy that involves negotiating the amount, availability and rates, for placing limits on large users who exceed the standard rate of use. It was pointed out that HMT, another large user of both water and toxics, settled in Eugene after Hyundai arrived, and still does not have a contract.