Related News
Related News
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September is National Preparedness Month: 3 tips to prepare your home & family
Let's "Be Ready" together!
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EWEB invests in preparedness for severe weather and natural disasters
Just as you take steps to safeguard your home and family, EWEB is investing in equipment and processes to ensure our community’s electric and water systems remain reliable in the face of adversity.
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EWEB customers achieve remarkable results in environmental stewardship through EWEB's Lead Green programs
Subscribers of EWEB's Lead Green programs helped reduce carbon emissions in 2023 by 730 metric tons of CO2e.
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EWEB, SUB and RWD join forces at Lane County Fair to distribute water to fairgoers
The Eugene Water & Electric Board, Springfield Utility Board and Rainbow Water District are teaming up for the 9th year to provide fairgoers with clean, cold free water.
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EWEB explores rate increases to cover rising costs and to modernize infrastructure
Amid rising inflation and other challenges, rate increases are necessary to maintain reliable utility services and fund critical investments in Eugene’s water and electric infrastructure.
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Community members can test out climate-friendly e-bikes at E-Bike Expo on Saturday
EWEB encourages Eugene residents to ride into summer on clean, accessible e-bikes, with a $300 e-bike rebate.
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EWEB Hosts Dinner to Appreciate Customers of the McKenzie River Valley
EWEB hosted a customer appreciation dinner at the Walterville Community Center on Thursday, May 23, in place of its yearly upriver Board meeting. The event allowed customers, EWEB Commissioners, and staff to share a meal and openly discuss topics most relevant to the McKenzie Valley community.
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EWEB bids a fond farewell to College Hill Reservoir and prepares for modern drinking water storage tanks
Several hundred Eugene residents came together on May 30 for a Farewell Celebration at EWEB’s College Hill Reservoir before demolition and construction to build modern drinking water storage tanks begins later this year.
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EWEB opens application for 2024 Electric Mobility Community Grants
Grant awards of up to $30,000 to cover costs associated with electric mobility projects.
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The Big Freeze 2024: After Action Report
Winter 2024 was one for the records books, and we'll look back on it for years to come and say, "That was a doozy!" The back-to-back January Ice Storms caused widespread damage to EWEB’s service territory, affecting approximately 38,000 customers. Preliminary repair costs were over $8 million, and additional repairs to transmission lines are still required.
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Fixing the Unseen: Water Pipeline Replacement in Unincorporated Eugene
Learn more about EWEB's methods for monitoring and replacing aged water pipelines.
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New tanks come online as EWEB modernizes water system
New drinking water storage tanks are one of several investments to ensure that EWEB can meet critical community needs in the event of an earthquake.
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Spring Cleaning? How about Spring Emergency Preparedness!
Spring is officially here and that means the plants are blooming, the sun is (sometimes) shining, and the grass is green! We've had our fair share of severe weather already, but spring weather is notoriously unpredictable. While you're in the midst of spring cleaning and garden care, consider completing these emergency preparedness tasks.
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EWEB General Manager Delivers 2024 State of the Utility
General Manager Frank Lawson delivered his address at the March 5 public Board of Commissioners meeting
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State of the McKenzie Watershed
EWEB’s Drinking Water Source Protection (DWSP) team says the McKenzie River continues to be an excellent source for drinking water.
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What do EWEB and the Fourth of July Have in Common?
June 30, 2017
The Continental Congress in 1776 declared independence from the British Empire. In 1911, the citizens of Eugene made their own "declaration of independence" from the privately owned water company.
A typhoid epidemic that struck Eugene in the first decade of the 20th century provided the catalyst that led to the creation of EWEB. When the outbreak was traced to the privately owned water company, outraged citizens sprang into action, voting in 1908 to buy the system and create a municipal, citizen-owned water utility. We began generating electricity, at first to power the pumps for the water system, and eventually became the full-service water and electric utility we are today.
Public utilities have long been an important American institution. From small towns to big cities, public power and water is an expression of the American ideal of local people working together to meet local needs. While each community-owned utility is unique, all public utilities, including EWEB, share some basic tenets:
Public Ownership
Public utilities are owned by the citizens they serve. All of EWEB's assets—from hydroelectric generation plants to water reservoirs and the high-speed fiber network—are owned by the citizens of Eugene. Public ownership also means that dollars stay in the local community. Each year EWEB contributes more than $12 million to help the City of Eugene pay for critical services such as public safety.
Local Control
Like the government envisioned by our founding fathers, public utilities are accountable to the people they serve. EWEB is governed by a citizen-elected Board of Commissioners. With local control, EWEB is able to make business decisions that are important to our customers, such as investing in system reliability, energy efficiency programs, and helping limited-income residents pay their utility bills.
Nonprofit Operations
As a public utility, we do not operate to earn a profit or to serve the investment needs of stockholders. Most community-owned utilities, including EWEB, charge cost-based rates. We raise rates only when necessary to provide safe and reliable service for customers. We've been making reductions and cost-cutting measures for a number of years, and through our current affordability initiative, we're working hard to reduce future price increases.
This year as you celebrate Independence Day with the traditional cook-out, fireworks, or camping trip, take a moment to remember another American tradition: public power and water. EWEB has been locally owned and operated, reflecting the community's values and priorities, for more than 106 years. We are thankful to serve you, our customer-owners, and we wish you a safe and fun Fourth of July!