When a tree fell in the
forest back in November
of 2009, it’s safe to say it
was heard.

The 85-foot Douglas fir slammed into the Rhododendron water treatment plant, cutting the water supply to the homes connected by the Rhododendron Water Association (RWA). Steve Graeper, president of RWA, along with water master David Jacob, responded
by hooking into the system of neighboring Lady Creek Water Association, and
within five days RWA customers had their water restored.

That event of mutual cooperation led to a Sept. 20, 2014 meeting where 17 of
the 58 water systems between Alder Creek and Government Camp were
represented by individuals to form a coalition of responders.

On Feb. 21, the Hoodland Area Water Coalition (HAWC) was officially formed
at a meeting of water board members held at The Resort. Eighteen of the 58
water systems were represented.

Graeper pointed out how none of the members are competitors.

“We are all striving to do the same thing: provide safe drinking water to our
customers,” Graeper said. “Why anyone would not want to be a part of this, I
have no idea.”

There is much work to be done, but some of it is already in motion. A free
Wiki website has been set up at https://sites.google.com/site/hoodlandwater.
A purchase of a domain name is in the works. Jacob is completing an area
boundary map so that HAWC systems can be identified by the county and
local fire departments.

At the same meeting, Ken Schlegal, chairman of the Oregon
Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (ORWARN), pointed to the work
of his group and that emergencies transcend jurisdictional boundaries, and
the need for utilities helping other utilities.

Schlegal also noted that often times, in emergencies, federal response hinges
on whether there exist mutual aid agreements between associations.

“The presentation of ORWARN was eye opening,” Graeper told The Mountain
Times. “Mutual aid agreements are common to fire districts, why can’t they be
initiated between water systems? Hopefully, HAWC can facilitate that.”

Graeper also noted that if HAWC can be there to gather contact information
about each other, and provide assistance to each other in time of need, or
just be there for each other as information sources, all water system
customers will be better served.

“Down the line we could even form a buying group to obtain quantity
discounts on treatment supplies that are common to all water systems,”
Graeper said. “Saving money is a good thing. The possibilities are endless if
we just learn to work together. I see HAWC as a first step toward working
together for a common good.”