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Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR)

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Tigard Completes Construction of a 2nd Aquifer Storage and Recovery Well
The City is in its fourth full year of the Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) Program. ASR is the process of injecting water into an aquifer for storage during the winter months, and using that same water during the summer months. Because Tigard's daily water demand ranges from 4.8 million gallons a day during the winter season and up to 14.3 million gallons a day during the summer, it is necessary to explore options for handling surges in water demand. Due to the success of ASR in neighboring water systems, Tigard made the decision to explore the concept in an effort to meet the growing needs of Tigard Water Service Area residents.

The program began back in the fall of 2001 with the drilling of the first ASR well (ASR #1) located at the Canterbury Reservoir Site. One year later nearly 97 million gallons had been injected into the aquifer which was recovered later that summer. Just this last year, close to 115 million gallons was injected into the aquifer. Water quality and pump rate testing continue to prove that the aquifer is safely storing the treated water and is able to provide a recovery rate of approximately 1.0 to 1.4 million gallons per day (MGD).

In September 2003 an ASR Program Expansion report was completed which included recommendations for additional ASR wells. The success of ASR #1 prompted Tigard to continue its expansion of the ASR program with the development of a second ASR well (ASR #2).

Construction of ASR #2, located along Bull Mountain Road, is complete. The well is expected to store 110 million gallons (mg) of drinking water in 2006 and 160 mg in 2007.

The benefits of a full-scale ASR program provide the City of Tigard with:

An emergency supply;
Option for postponing the construction of more water storage facilities;
Ability to reduce strain on our various water sources (i.e. the Bull Run Watershed & Trask/Tualatin River Watershed) during the summer months; &
Cost efficient water (water purchased for ASR injection in the winter is less expensive than wholesale water prices during the summer).

Quick Facts about ASR

What is ASR?
The process of injecting potable water during winter months into the ground and pumping that same water into the water distribution system to meet summer demands.

Addresses City of Tigard Visioning Task Force Goal #1
Exploring local options for water reuse and groundwater sources

Milestones for ASR Well #2:
Well Drilling: February 2004
Pump House Construction: Summer of 2005
Water Injection: Fall/Winter of 2005
Summer Withdrawal: June 2006 - November 2006

Project Manager Rob Murchison, P.E., Project Engineer
503-639-4171, ext. 2699
E-Mail: robm@tigard-or.gov