Frequently Asked Questions

No, we want participation in the District to be voluntary.

No, the District can’t annex properties into its boundary without an election and a vote by the property owners affected. That would be expensive and complicated.

You can join by submitting an “Annexation Request Form” and agreeing to the rules and conditions for using the sewer system.

People who are already included in the district boundary and are registered with the proper county and state agencies can connect once the system is up and running.

We don’t know yet. The Tumalo Basin Sewer District was officially formed by the Deschutes County Commissioners in August of 2024. Right now, we’re working on securing funding for property, design, and basic district operations.

No. We don’t have taxing authority, and the TBSD will only charge people who are actually getting service from the system.

We’re too early in the process to give exact numbers for connection fees or monthly charges.  

That being said, the people making the decisions are also the ones who’ll pay the costs, so there’s a strong incentive to keep things as affordable as possible.

Maybe not. Since the system design isn’t finalized yet, we don’t know for sure what each house will need. But we’re focused on keeping as much of the existing infrastructure as possible.

Sort of. We’re looking into a sewer system that pumps only effluent to a treatment facility. This will allow us to install pipes less than 8 inches in diameter, about 30 inches below the surface. That means we won’t have to dig up wide sections of the roads.

A Special District is a type of local government set up to provide a very specific service. The people who live in the district have a big say in how it operates, which makes it a pretty effective way to get things done.

No. There are 27 types of Special Districts in Oregon, as defined in Oregon Revised Statutes 198.010, covering everything from Parks & Rec to Fire, Medical to Roads—and more. Our favorite is #19.