2021 Drinking Water Quality Report
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PORTLAND WATER BUREAU 2021 Drinking Water Quality Report Portland’s Water System Most of Established 1895 Portland’s drinking water Sa nd y comes from R i v e the Bull Run Columbia River r Bull Run Watershed Watershed, Water Columbia South Bull Run Lake 26 miles east Quality Lab Water Bureau Drinking water Reservoir & of downtown Thousands Shore Well Field Dam 1 employees collect flows by gravity Portland. of hydrants We and test more ll Field from Bull Run Protection Ar Pumps pull groundwater safeguard than 11,000 water ea to Portland. Reservoir & from the aquifers of the the city. samples each year. Dam 2 Columbia South Shore Kelly Butte Headworks Well Field. e Area Underground Treatment Bull Run Watershed Closur Mt. Hood Reservoir Facility Lusted Hill Treatment Treatment Facility Sandy River Washington operators add Park Reservoir Willamette River Treatment operators add chlorine to control (Under Construction) ammonia to form a longer- microorganisms, Downtown Portland Powell Butte lasting disinfectant. They such as bacteria or Portland’s drinking water system delivers water from two high-quality sources— Underground also add sodium hydroxide to viruses, that could the Bull Run Watershed and the Columbia South Shore Well Field—to almost More than 2,200 miles of water mains Reservoirs reduce corrosion of metals. make people sick. one million people in Portland and surrounding communities. carry water beneath the city’s streets. To Washington County Reservoirs and tanks store water for everyday use, plus firefighting and emergency needs. Portland’s drinking water sources The Columbia South Shore Well Field, Managing and planning for wildfires The Bull Run Watershed, Portland’s protected surface Portland’s protected groundwater supply, Wildfires in forests like the Bull Run Watershed are uncommon but not water supply, is in the Mount Hood National Forest, 26 miles provides drinking water from 25 active wells unprecedented. Forests on the west side of the Cascades, like the Bull Run, from Portland. The Portland Water Bureau and the US Forest located in three different aquifers. The well field receive a lot of rain and retain much of that moisture in the trees, logs, Service carefully manage the watershed to sustain and supply is between Portland International Airport and plants, and material covering the forest floor. Large wildfires in these types clean drinking water. In a typical year, the watershed receives an Blue Lake Park. Portland uses the well field for two of forests have historically occurred during a major wind event with hot, astounding 135 inches of precipitation (rain and snow), which purposes: to supplement the Bull Run supply in dry air conditions, just like the Labor Day 2020 fires. We breathed a sigh of flows into the Bull Run River and then into two reservoirs that the summer, and to temporarily replace the Bull relief in 2020 when the fires didn’t touch the watershed, but we plan for and store nearly 10 billion gallons of drinking water. Run supply during turbidity events, maintenance anticipate a large fire will occur in the future. Staff from across the bureau are activities, and emergencies. actively working on fire planning and resiliency. The strongest resiliency tool Source water assessments are completed to identify The Columbia South Shore Well Field is beneath that we currently have is our Columbia South Shore Well Field. Groundwater, contaminants of concern for drinking water. For the Bull Run, along with our future filtration plant, provides resiliency and flexibility to help the only contaminants of concern are naturally occurring homes and businesses with a variety of potential contaminant sources. The deep aquifers that are ensure we keep your high-quality drinking water flowing. Find more about our microorganisms, such as Giardia, Cryptosporidium, fecal coliform wildfire planning atportland.gov/water/wildfire . bacteria, and total coliform bacteria. The Portland Water Bureau the primary sources of water supply have natural regularly tests Bull Run water for these microorganisms that live geologic protection from pollutants present at in virtually all freshwater ecosystems. the land surface. Portland, Gresham, and Fairview work together to protect the well field. The cities’ The Portland Water Bureau treats water to control organisms Groundwater Protection Programs work with that would make people sick but does not currently treat for residents and businesses in the well field to ensure Cryptosporidium. Portland is installing filtration to remove that pollutants from this urban area do not impact Cryptosporidium and other contaminants from drinking water the groundwater source. by 2027. Learn more on pages 10 and 11. To learn more about groundwater protection and Portland’s source water assessment is available at find upcoming groundwater education events, Maile, a watershed specialist, assisted Nick, a water quality sampler, collected wildfire Liane, our watershed manager, coordinated portland.gov/water/resources/source-water-assessment Corbett firefighters in September 2020 to put ash from the Riverside Fire in October 2020 to with the Forest Service during the 2017 Eagle visit portland.gov/water/GroundWater. out a small fire near the Bull Run Watershed. test our future water filtration treatment plant. Creek Fire. or by calling 503-823-7525. The Clackamas River Water District, City of Gresham, City of Lake Oswego, City of Milwaukie, Rockwood Water People’s Utility District, Sunrise Water Authority, and Tualatin Valley Water District provide drinking water to some Portland customers who Get email updates when we make changes to our source water or treatment. live near service area boundaries. Customers who receive water from these providers will receive detailed water quality Sign up at portland.gov/water/notification. 2 3 reports about these sources in addition to this report. Frequently asked questions about water quality Adjusting operations during the pandemic What test results will I find in this report? Is Portland’s water soft or hard? The Portland Water Bureau monitors drinking water Bull Run water—Portland’s main water supply—is very for over 200 regulated and unregulated contaminants. soft. It typically has a total hardness of 3–8 parts per This report lists all of the regulated contaminants the million (ppm), or ¼ to ½ a grain of hardness per gallon. bureau detected in drinking water in 2020. If a known Portland’s groundwater supply is moderately hard: health-related contaminant is not listed in this report, about 80 ppm, or about 5 grains per gallon. the Portland Water Bureau did not detect it in What is the pH of Portland’s water? Treatment operators continued to monitor Environmental technicians completed their Water quality information specialists continued drinking water. The pH of Portland’s drinking water typically ranges and control the water treatment system at annual inspection of the watershed for assisting the public with water quality the watershed. water quality issues. questions and sending out lead test kits. between 7.5 and 8.5. How is Portland’s drinking water treated? In March 2020, our lives turned upside down. During the uncertainty of Currently, Portland’s drinking water treatment is a three- How can I get my water tested? those early days of the pandemic, the Portland Water Bureau was certain step process: 1) Chlorine disinfects against organisms, such For free lead-in-water testing, contact the LeadLine about one thing: we need to keep water safe and flowing. as bacteria and viruses, that could otherwise make people at leadline.org or 503-988-4000. For other testing, While many of our staff were able to telework, over 200 staff continued sick. 2) Ammonia stabilizes chlorine to form a longer-lasting you can pay a private, accredited laboratory to test to work at the office, lab, or field sites to keep doing their essential work. disinfectant. 3) Sodium hydroxide reduces corrosion of your tap water. For information about accredited Keeping that many people safe has taken a lot of creativity and changes metals such as lead. Portland’s treatment is changing in the labs, contact the Oregon Health Authority at to how we do our work. Here’s a glimpse at some of our staff that are coming decade. Learn more starting on page 9. [email protected] or 503-693-4100. Enhanced safety and distancing protocols allowed dedicated to serving you excellent water every minute of every day. lab analysts to continue testing water in the lab. Is Portland’s water safe from viruses such as the What causes temporarily discolored water? COVID-19 virus? Sediment and organic material from the Bull Run Watershed settle at the bottom of water mains. These Yes, your water is safe from viruses and safe to drink. Portland can sometimes be stirred up during hydrant use or controls microorganisms, including viruses, with chlorine. a main break. They can also be seen in the fall as a harmless tea-colored tint. Discolored water can also be Is Portland’s water filtered? caused by older pipes in buildings that add rust to the No. Neither of Portland’s sources is filtered. In response to water. Find out more at At the treatment pilot plant in the watershed, Where lab staff couldn’t maintain six feet Crews continued flushing water mains in east a series of low-level detections of Cryptosporidium in Bull portland.gov/water/DiscoloredWater. our interdisciplinary team of water quality and distance, plexiglass barriers were installed to Portland, cleaning out and maintaining water Run water in 2017, Portland is installing a filtration plant to engineering staff continued testing treatment keep everyone safe. quality in close to 200 miles of water main. options for our future water filtration facility. treat for Cryptosporidium. Bull Run water will be filtered by How should property managers maintain 2027. Learn more on pages 10 and 11. water quality in large buildings? Managers of large buildings should implement a What the EPA says can be found in drinking water Does the Portland Water Bureau add fluoride water management program to protect their water quality and address the risk of Legionella growth.