Planning for the Next 100 Years in the Bull Run Watershed
August 14, 2018
Today, City Council held a work session with the Portland Water Bureau (PWB) to review options for building a water filtration facility for our Bull Run water.
In August 2017, the Portland City Council unanimously directed the Water Bureau to plan, design, and construct a filtration facility to meet current state and federal regulations, and to plan for the future demands on our water system. That includes meeting treatment requirements for Cryptosporidium and keeping our water safe after a major disaster like an earthquake or fire.
Cryptosporidium, or “Crypto” is a microscopic parasite that lives in the intestines of humans and other animals and can cause illness. Federal regulations – the Safe Drinking Water Act and Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (“LT2”) – require local water utilities to treat for Crypto.
The City has been – and remains in – compliance with all state and federal rules. The bureau continues to test our water for parasites, and Bull Run water remains safe to drink.
PWB is currently in the planning phase for the new facility. Today, staff shared findings and a preferred option to address each of the following four questions:
• What is the best treatment technology?
• Where is the preferred facility location?
• What capacity do we need?
• How do we make sure we're getting experienced contractors and a fair price, while honoring our commitment to contracting equity?
Special thanks to today’s presenters – Director Mike Stuhr, Deputy Director Gabe Solmer, Chief Engineer Teresa Elliot, and Principal Engineer David Peters – for their outstanding work and ongoing commitment to public health and safe drinking water.
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