South Fork Water Board

What South Fork Water Board does

South Fork Water Board is a public water utility jointly owned and governed by the cities of Oregon City and West Linn, Oregon, operating under equal Board representation (three members from each city, including the respective mayors). Established in 1915 in response to a 1913 typhoid outbreak, the organization treats raw water from the Clackamas River and supplies finished drinking water on a wholesale basis to Oregon City Utilities and West Linn Utilities, which together serve approximately 65,000 end consumers. The source water from the Clackamas River watershed supports drinking water for over 200,000 people across Clackamas County.

The utility operates a single conventional water treatment plant built in 1958 and located in Oregon City's Park Place neighborhood, drawing water through a 1996-vintage raw water intake roughly 2,000 feet horizontal and 300 feet vertical from the treatment facility. Treatment follows a standard coagulation-flocculation-sedimentation-filtration-chlorination sequence using alum and Magnafloc coagulants. The plant is documented to operate near its upper capacity limits, prompting the active Long Term Water Reliability Program, which includes the Water Quality Systems Building modernization to upgrade treatment storage and feed systems, improve seismic resilience, and expand capacity. Water quality monitoring covers pH, alkalinity, lead/copper reduction, PFAS, cyanotoxins, and chlorine residual calculation. Strategic direction is anchored by the Water Master Plan.

The business model is wholesale water supply under a recurring contractual arrangement with two municipal customers; South Fork Water does not bill end consumers directly, with retail billing and last-mile distribution handled entirely by Oregon City Utilities and West Linn Utilities. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed. The organization employs approximately 12 staff across operations, water quality, maintenance, safety, and capital projects functions, and participates in regional coalitions including the Clackamas River Water Providers and the Regional Water Providers Consortium for conservation, watershed protection, source protection, and public education.

Name

South Fork Water Board

Legal name

South Fork Water

Website

https://sfwbor.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1915

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

South Fork Water Board is a publicly owned wholesale water utility, jointly governed by Oregon City and West Linn, Oregon, that treats and supplies finished drinking water from the Clackamas River to its two municipal utilities for distribution to 65,000 residents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Oregon City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Water Supply: South Fork Water operates as a wholesale water utility, selling treated water in bulk to the cities of Oregon City and West Linn. The cities handle retail customer billing and service.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

South Fork Water Board is a wholesale water utility that abstracts raw water from the Clackamas River, treats it using a conventional process (flocculation, sedimentation, filtration, and chlorination), and sells the treated drinking water in bulk to the cities of Oregon City and West Linn. The two member cities handle all retail customer billing and distribution to approximately 65,000 residents.

Product overview

South Fork Water Board operates as a wholesale water utility providing treated drinking water to Oregon City and West Linn, serving 65,000 people. The core product is wholesale water supply from their water treatment plant (built in 1958) using conventional treatment processes including flocculation, sedimentation, filtration, and chlorination. The utility's infrastructure includes the Water Quality Systems Building modernization project, part of the Long Term Water Reliability Program focused on quality improvements, seismic resilience, and capacity expansion. The Water Master Plan guides strategic infrastructure decisions. South Fork Water is not a billing utility—customers are served through Oregon City Utilities and West Linn Utilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Water Treatment Services Conventional water treatment at the Park Place facility (built 1958) using flocculation with alum and Magnafloc, sedimentation, filtration, and chlorine disinfection to produce treated drinking water for wholesale supply.
• Wholesale Water Supply Wholesale supply of treated drinking water in bulk to the cities of Oregon City and West Linn, serving approximately 65,000 residents. Billing and retail distribution are handled by the partner cities' utilities.
• Water Quality Systems Building Modernization of the treatment plant's systems and equipment, including treatment storage and feed systems, designed to improve operator safety, seismic resilience, emergency response, site access, and system reliability.
• Long Term Water Reliability Program Comprehensive program addressing aging infrastructure to ensure continued delivery of safe, reliable water through investments in water quality, seismic resilience, and treatment capacity improvements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving 65,000 people in Oregon City and West Linn
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Clackamas River Water ProviderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth Fork Water is a member of Clackamas River Water Providers, a coalition of water providers that get drinking water from the Clackamas River. CRWP members work together on water resource issues including conservation, watershed protection, and source water protection. Provides educational resources, conservation rebates, and free conservation tools to residents.
• Regional Water Providers ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth Fork Water partners with the Regional Water Providers Consortium, a collaborative group of water providers across the Portland Metro area. RWPC provides conservation tools, source protection, and long-term supply planning services.
• City of Oregon CitycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOregon City is a wholesale water customer of South Fork Water. The City distributes water to end consumers and handles customer billing through Oregon City Utilities.
• City of West LinncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWest Linn is a wholesale water customer of South Fork Water. The City distributes water to end consumers and handles customer billing through West Linn Utilities.
• Portland General Electric (PGE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth Fork Water partners with PGE and other Clackamas River treatment plants to monitor the river for cyanotoxins during peak months (May through October), ensuring quick response capability if detected.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Portland Water Bureau: Municipal water utility serving the Portland metro area, including Bull Run watershed sourcing and treatment; a larger regional incumbent in the same Pacific Northwest water-utility space as South Fork Water.
• Eugene Water & Electric Board: Oregon-based public utility providing water and electric service; shares the same public-utility, Oregon-jurisdiction governance model and surface-water treatment profile as South Fork Water.
• Tacoma Water: Large Pacific Northwest municipal water utility with surface-water sourcing, conventional treatment, and a long-standing service territory; comparable utility business model and regulatory structure.
• Seattle Public Utilities: Major Pacific Northwest municipal water and wastewater utility sourcing from the Cedar River and Tolt River watersheds; comparable surface-water treatment operations and public-utility governance model.

Direct peers

• Tualatin Valley Water District: Regional wholesale and retail water provider in the Portland metro area; similar mid-sized Pacific Northwest water utility model serving multiple municipalities via treated water supply.
• Clackamas River Water: Another Clackamas River water provider and fellow member of the Clackamas River Water Providers coalition; directly comparable in source water, treatment approach, and regional service footprint.

Regional players

• City of Lake Oswego Water: Municipal water service in the same Portland metro region; comparable scale and conventional treatment profile, sourced from nearby watersheds in the same service area as South Fork Water.
• Salem Public Works Water: Municipal water utility serving Salem, Oregon via North Santiam River surface water; directly comparable as an Oregon surface-water utility with conventional treatment and similar governance structure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/south-fork-water

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about South Fork Water Board