Reverse Osmosis (RO) Water Update

City Market, Onion River Co-op has made the difficult decision to discontinue free Reverse Osmosis (RO) water for Members. While free RO water has been a valued Member benefit for many years, it has and remains a significant cost investment for the Co-op to continue offering. As part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen our financial sustainability, we need to make changes to this program.

Beginning September 15, 2026: all customers (including Co-op Members) will be charged $0.50 per gallon for RO water.

Why we are making this change:

This decision was not made lightly. Management carefully evaluated a variety of options before determining that charging for RO water was necessary. Several factors contributed to this change:

• Operating costs: Water-related expenses, including utility fees, labor, maintenance, and repairs, cost the Co-op more than $150,000 annually.
• High water usage: The RO system uses approximately 250,000 gallons of water annually.
• Water waste: Of the roughly 20,000 gallons purchased each month, nearly half is lost due to overfilling, spills, and the RO filtration process.

To help offset these costs and ensure the long-term sustainability of the Co-op, we can no longer continue offering RO water at no charge. We understand this change may be disappointing, and we appreciate your understanding and support as we work to keep the Co-op financially strong for the future.

New Member benefit:

As a Member, you will continue to receive a water discount through our new program:

• Buy 5 gallons of RO water, get 1 gallon free
• There is no limit to the number of times Members can take advantage of this offer

Thank you for your continued support of City Market, Onion River Co-op!