THE DALLES — At its May 26 meeting, The Dalles City Council unanimously approved the 2025 Water Management and Conservation Plan (WMCP), a 10-year blueprint aimed at reducing water loss to below 10% and unlocking eligibility for major funding.
Public Works Director Dale McCabe introduced and recommended the state-mandated plan — overseen by the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) — which provides municipal water suppliers the guidance needed to meet their current and future water demands as efficiently as possible.
OWRD approved The Dalles’ first WMCP in November 2014, which contained a 20-year timeline. McCabe began work on the 2025 plan two years ago, in accordance with state law, which requires an updated timeline every 10 years. ORWD approved the updated plan in April, passing adoption duties to the council.
The plan sets conservation benchmarks, including keeping unaccounted-for water (water loss) at or below 10%, and requires the city to complete a detailed water loss analysis and correction action plan by April 2028.
Adopting the plan does three key things. First, it keeps the city in compliance with state requirements and allows the plan to be incorporated into the upcoming comprehensive plan, thereby aligning water policy with broader land-use and growth planning.
It also positions The Dalles to seek state and federal grants and low-interest loans for major projects, such as replacing the Wicks Water Treatment Plant and two long transmission lines in town, while also expanding its aquifer storage and recovery system from one well to as many as four.
Finally, it formalizes the expectation that the city will steadily reduce water losses and modernize infrastructure, aiding ratepayers over time by planning and financing “generational” upgrades in a deliberate, phased way.
Councilor Tim McGlothlin pressed McCabe on whether Google data centers had created “significant structural capacity challenges.” He confirmed they had not, emphasizing that data center customers pay full system development charges and rates and are not subsidized.
Following clarifying questions about regulatory timelines, the council moved to adopt the plan in its entirety. Mayor Rich Mays called the vote; with Councilor Rod Runyon participating remotely and raising his hand in favor, the plan passed unanimously, 5–0.
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