West Glen United Says “Yes” to Clean Water, “No” to Paying for it Twice
West Glen United/Unidos logos.
South Boardman Neighborhood Group Says it’s Open to Proposed City Water Extension, but Polluters Must Cover the Costs
BOARDMAN – In a “show of unity and strength,” West Glen United / West Glen Unidos announced that an overwhelming majority of their neighborhoods have signed a petition demanding “fair and just” terms for safe drinking water in their homes.
In a letter addressed to the Morrow County Clean Water Consortium, which is leading a plan to extend Boardman city water to the neighborhood, West Glen United highlighted its ongoing concern - the additional costs to residents.
“We didn’t pollute our wells - big ag and big tech did - and we’ve paid the cost in well expense, health and property values, " said Paulo Lopez, an ambassador for West Glen United. “The polluters need to pay for the solutions - not the taxpayers or residents with polluted wells.”
West Glen United’s letter requested that the Water Consortium, with Port of Morrow and Morrow County decision-makers, present options to offset the additional costs to residents and other terms at its next meeting on August 11th, and move the next meeting time to 6 pm to allow residents to attend after work.
The wells in West Glen are highly contaminated with nitrate. Many are three to six times the federal limit. The Consortium identified this neighborhood as the first project in the county to develop a secure, safe source of drinking water. However, they repeatedly insist that West Glen will have to pay the additional costs for connecting to city water. This includes monthly bills, which are much higher for those outside city limits.
The letter clarifies that the neighborhood is open to connecting to city water, but the polluters responsible for nitrate contamination must cover the additional costs.
Years of state studies show that nitrate pollution in groundwater across the basin is driven by overuse of synthetic fertilizers, manure, and industrial wastewater. Industries like the Port of Morrow and Lamb Weston have frequently been cited by the State of Oregon for overloading fields with nitrogen, which leaches into groundwater. The state reconfirmed in a January 2026 study that nitrate levels are still rising across the region, which puts more domestic wells and public water systems at risk.
The letter states, “We ask you to understand that we unknowingly lived with dangerous water for decades, and we have been participating in the effort to fix this problem for four years. But the solution is not just selling us water.”
The next meeting of the Morrow County Clean Water Consortium will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 11 at the Port of Morrow. This will be the first meeting since the Port voted to remove Port commissioner Kelly Doherty, based on allegations that she represented the communities’ interests rather than the Port.
“This isn’t just about one neighborhood, said Kristin Ostrom, ORA Executive Director. “It’s also about the hundreds of homes in Morrow and Umatilla County that don’t have safe drinking water. Safe water is a human right, not a privilege.”
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