Organization of the Company: Pete’s Mountain Water Company (PMWC) is structured as a not-for-profit corporation for the benefit of its members. Our organizational documents, including bylaws and system rules and regulations, are posted in the Documents section of our website: https://www.petesmountainwatercompany.com/. These documents provide essential guidance for our members regarding how the Company operates and how to interact with the Board.
Governance: The members of the Board of Directors serve as volunteers. There are seven Board positions, which elect officers from the group. The current Board members are:
● Troy Bundy, President
● Alan Bellanca, Treasurer
● Brent Schafer, Recording Secretary
● Kyle Connall, Corresponding Secretary
● Keith Sheppard
● Adam Stout
● (Currently open)
Board of Directors Responsibilities: In addition to making policy decisions, the Board: maintains minutes of decisions; manages and reports on Company finances; distributes the annual report to members; issues urgent announcements or alert; responds to member inquiries that are not billing or water-supply related; assists with Beacon app problems; and manages the PMWC website.
Our Physical Plant and Water Production: Two approximately 1000-feet-deep wells supply water to (currently) 88 members of Pete’s Mountain Water Company. Pumps are set as low in the wells as possible, but during the dry summer months irrigation places high demand on the system, and water levels drop. The water level when the pump is operating must be kept at least 10 feet above the pump, preferably higher, to avoid damaging the pump. The conditions of our well permits allow irrigation of no more than ½-acre of lawn and garden per member. The board is responsible to impose irrigation limitations when required to protect our resources and investment.
Member Responsibilities: As a mutual benefit association, each household account has a share of the Company. (We recommend that you include your PMWC membership as an asset in your will or trust.) As co-owners and as users of the system, you are responsible for becoming familiar with these processes and to value our water system as a shared resource.
Monitoring Your Water Usage: PMWC’s electronic meter communication system includes free access to the EyeOnWater app, enabling members to monitor their own water usage and receive leak alerts. This tool has greatly helped PMWC manage the limited water supply and avoid critical water loss for individual members and the system, especially during the irrigation season. Members are expected to download the app to monitor their water use. Contact a Board Member if you have problems using the app.
Contact Information for Members Required: In urgent situations, PMWC must communicate with members quickly. In order to do that, each year we ask members to update phone numbers and email addresses for all adult members of PMWC households. Please confirm your contact information by sending to Chris Bang at Tabor Accounting Group.
Email: chrisb@taboraccountinggroup.com
Water System Operator: Phillip Merrill of Merrill Water Systems (MWS) is contracted to operate the system, conduct routine and ad hoc maintenance, monitor excess usage or leaks, and provide required water system testing and reporting ,including managing the mandated annual backflow assembly testing. Mr. Merrill is your first point of contact if there are service or quality problems with your water supply: (503) 734-7400, info@merrillwater.com.
Monthly Billing and Accounting: Bills are managed by our accounting firm, Tabor Accounting Group, 7501 SW Findlay Rd., Durham, Oregon 97224, (503) 598-1011. This is your first point of contact if you have questions about your bill. The contact is Chris Bang, email: chrisb@taboraccountinggroup.com. Tabor Accounting also manages our membership roster, contacts members with delinquent accounts, and renews required registrations.
If You Are Moving: Please see the Membership Transfer Form under Documents on our web page. It’s important that the buyer and seller agree on the transfer of the membership fee and payments.
Water Curtailment: Our water system manager (MWS) monitors the water levels of our wells and notifies the Board when the curtailment of water usage by the members is warranted. Some curtailment of water usage is not uncommon during the summer months. See the Documents Library Fees, Rates, and Assessments for the current water curtailment policies.
Annual Backflow prevention and assembly testing: Positive Backflow test results from all members are due annually. Members are responsible for scheduling tests for each backflow device on their property and reporting the results to our water system manager ,Phillip Merrill. Please have test results emailed to: backflowmerrillwater@gmail.com. Members are reminded every spring about these requirements and the consequences for not complying.
The Oregon Health Authority requires approved backflow protection devices for any water service member whose system includes water features such as in-ground irrigation/sprinklers, in-home fire suppression systems, swimming pools, hot tubs, fountains, or ponds. The entire PMWC Backflow Policy and Procedure document is posted on the Pete’s Mountain Water Company website: https://www.petesmountainwatercompany.com/
PMWC is required by the Oregon Health Authority to compile and report backflow device tests each year. Therefore, penalty fees will be imposed on members who do not submit their backflow device test results within the stated deadline. Disconnection for noncompliance will be considered for the protection of the other members in the water system.