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@portlandwater
For Immediate Release | May 31, 2023
Media contact: Felicia Heaton, 503-823-8064, felicia.heaton@portlandoregon.gov
Digital content available. Details at the end of the release.
It’s your drinking water! Portland Water keeps you hydrated, keeps you cool, and keeps you clean. It’s in your morning cup, your favorite bowl of ramen, your pint of locally crafted beer. It’s a critical ingredient in thousands of products and services that power our regional economy and keep us safe.
Every year, the Portland Water Bureau issues the Drinking Water Quality Report to explain what’s in your water and what we do to keep it safe and flowing to your tap. We know most folks don’t have time to read federally mandated government reports (even when they look this good) so…
Here’s the key takeaway: The Portland Water Bureau continues to deliver clean and safe drinking water that meets or surpasses drinking water standards to nearly a million customers.
And here’s how we know: We conduct more than 11,000 tests per year to track more than 200 potential contaminants. Tests are conducted throughout the system, all the way from the source to people’s taps.
"When I see the headlines from around the region and around the world about limited access to clean, safe water, I’m reminded how fortunate we are here in the Portland area to have some of the best drinking water in the world. It’s not by luck, but the result of decades of careful planning and ongoing investment in projects designed to keep our water safe and accessible.”
One important step is bringing a new Bull Run Treatment filtration facility online in 2027. Construction on the facility is expected to begin this fall. But the work doesn’t stop with its completion.
“We must stay vigilant by replacing aging pipes, pumps, and valves; by protecting the Bull Run Watershed and our groundwater system,” said Solmer. “We are also committed to evolving our operations to respond to climate change and reduce our carbon footprint.”
Portland’s drinking water comes from two high-quality sources, which are the two largest drinking water sources in the state: the Bull Run Watershed and the Columbia South Shore Well Field. This report includes all detections of known health-related contaminants detected in 2022. If a known health-related contaminant is not listed in this report, it was not detected in our drinking water.
As early as Thursday, June 1, Portlanders will receive a postcard in the mail with an easy-to-scan QR code and web address that will take them to the full Portland Water Bureau 2023 Drinking Water Quality Report on the City of Portland website.
The report is accessible for people who use screen readers and is available in English, Spanish, Russian, Vietnamese, and Chinese. You can request a paper copy online or by phone at 503-823-9444. To request translations in additional languages or accommodations for people with disabilities, call 503-823-7525 (Relay: 711). Interpretation services available.
The report also makes it easy for you to get updates on our excellent water sources, wise water system investments, and your drinking water.
Supplemental images, videos, and graphics are available for download from this Google Drive folder. All content for use with coverage of annual release of 2023 Portland Water Bureau Water Quality Report. Images and video provided by the Portland Water Bureau. If you have difficulty accessing these files or would like additional context for use, please contact felicia.heaton@portlandoregon.gov or 503-823-8064.
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Documents:
The Portland Water Bureau serves water to almost a million people in the Portland area. Portland’s water system includes two great water sources, 53 tanks and reservoirs, and 2,200 miles of pipe. With 600 employees working on everything from water treatment to customer service, the Water Bureau is committed to serving excellent water every minute of every day.
Since 2017, the Portland Water Bureau has detected low levels of Cryptosporidium from routine monitoring of source water. The Portland Water Bureau received results from ongoing monitoring from the Bull Run Watershed intake for Cryptosporidium, a potentially disease-causing microorganism. In the 50 liters sampled each day from May 14 to May 17, one Cryptosporidium oocyst was detected in each of the samples collected on May 14 and May 17. Cryptosporidium was not detected in the samples collected on May 15 or May 16. Prior to this detection, Cryptosporidium was last detected from the Bull Run Watershed intake on April 26, 2023.
The Bull Run watershed is Portland’s primary source of drinking water. The Portland Water Bureau does not currently treat for Cryptosporidium, but is required to do so under drinking water regulations. Portland is working to install filtration by September 2027 under a compliance schedule with the Oregon Health Authority. In the meantime, Portland Water Bureau is implementing interim measures such as watershed protection and additional monitoring to protect public health. Consultation with public health officials has concluded that at this time, customers do not need to take any additional precautions.
Exposure to Cryptosporidium can cause cryptosporidiosis, a serious illness. Symptoms can include diarrhea, vomiting, fever and stomach pain. People with healthy immune systems recover without medical treatment. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people with severely weakened immune systems are at risk for more serious disease. Symptoms may be more severe and could lead to serious or life-threatening illness. Examples of people with weakened immune systems include those with AIDS, those with inherited diseases that affect the immune system, and cancer and transplant patients who are taking certain immunosuppressive drugs.
The Environmental Protection Agency has estimated that a small percentage of the population could experience gastro-intestinal illness from Cryptosporidium and advises that customers who are immunocompromised and receive their drinking water from the Bull Run Watershed consult with their healthcare professional about the safety of drinking the tap water. The Portland Water Bureau and Burlington, City of Gresham, City of Sandy, City of Tualatin, Green Valley, GNR, Hideaway Hills, Lake Grove, Lorna Domestic Water, Lusted, Palatine Hill, Pleasant Home, Raleigh, Rockwood, Skyview Acres, Tualatin Valley, Two Rivers, Valley View and West Slope Water Districts receive all or part of their drinking water supply from Bull Run. To learn if your drinking water comes from Bull Run, please contact your local drinking water provider.
The public and the media are encouraged to view all sampling results posted to the City’s website at portland.gov/water/cryptoresults. The bureau will notify the media and public immediately should further test results indicate a risk to public health and precautions are necessary.
Customers with questions regarding water quality can call the Water Quality Line at 503-823-7525.
The Portland Water Bureau serves water to almost a million people in the Portland area. Portland’s water system includes two great water sources, 53 tanks and reservoirs, and 2,200 miles of pipes. With 600 employees working on everything from water treatment to customer service, the Water Bureau is committed to serving excellent water every minute of every day.