The City of Bend is renaming the Utility Department to “Water Services Department” and the Engineering and Infrastructure Planning Department to “Engineering Department” to more simply reflect the services provided.
The name “Water Services” reflects what the department provides. The Water Services Department manages all aspects of Bend’s water resources – drinking water, wastewater and stormwater. Further, changing the department name is expected to reduce confusion with other types of utilities, such as power service, natural gas, or broadband, etc., which the City of Bend does not provide.
“The City has been managing water resources for Bend customers for almost 100 years,” said Water Services (formerly Utility) Department Director Mike Buettner. “This name change better reflects the City’s commitment to water stewardship and our focus on managing water throughout the Bend community.”
As for “Engineering,” it is a simpler name, but infrastructure planning remains a key responsibility of the department.
“Engineers here at the City will continue to successfully deliver necessary infrastructure that keeps our City functioning at a high level,” said Engineering Department Director Ryan Oster.
The name changes, which will be reflected on department vehicles, educational and/or billing materials, signage, letterheads and more, will be phased in over the next year, to be completed before five dispersed departments move into the new Public Works Campus under construction at Juniper Ridge in the fall of 2025.
