Water supply switched to groundwater due to rain-driven turbidity

Heavy rains have caused a rapid increase in turbidity (organic material suspended in the water) in the Bull Run Watershed. Due to this increased turbidity, the Portland Water Bureau has temporarily turned off the Bull Run water supply and is serving 100 percent groundwater from the Columbia South Shore Well Field.

No action is needed by the public. The community's water supply remains safe to drink. The Columbia South Shore Well Field is doing what it was designed to do: meeting our community's drinking water needs while complying with safe drinking water regulations.

Operations Manager Kimberly Gupta said the transition from Bull Run water to 100 percent groundwater went smoothly. She credits ratepayers' ongoing investments in Portland's two water sources and the dedication of the Water Bureau staff who keep the water system working.

"Getting water to flow from a faucet seems simple," Gupta said. "But it takes the hard work of engineers, construction crews, customer service staff, certified operators and more to continually deliver safe water."

Portland Water Bureau Interim Director Quisha Light said groundwater is a powerful tool in planning for extreme weather.

"We constantly monitor water quality and plan ahead for the weather's impact on our water supply," said Light. "This careful planning ensures we're ready to meet our region's water needs now and into the future."

The new Bull Run filtration facility will be another powerful tool in addressing the potential water quality impacts of extreme weather events. The filtration facility will be able to remove sediment, organic material and other contaminants from our water-enabling the Water Bureau to reliably serve Bull Run water after an event like an extreme storm. It will also remove disease-causing microorganisms from our water to make it even safer.

Columbia South Shore Well Field

The Columbia South Shore Well Field is a robust secondary drinking water source that supplements our Bull Run supply. It can be used to augment water from the Bull Run during hot, dry summers and can be served when Bull Run water is unavailable for other reasons, such as a storm, flood, fire or natural disaster. Together, our two water sources improve the reliability of our water system and ensure that we can deliver excellent water every minute of every day.

Groundwater from the Columbia South Shore Well Field meets or surpasses all federal and state drinking water quality standards. The well field produces high-quality drinking water from protected aquifers deep below the ground.

Depending on a household's location, it can take up to two weeks for groundwater to move through the distribution system and replace Bull Run water at the tap. The Water Bureau will operate the groundwater system as long as weather conditions and water quality dictate. The Water Bureau will issue a notification when the system returns to 100 percent Bull Run water.

Learn more about our groundwater

Customers with questions should contact the Water Quality Line at 503-823-7525

Bull Run Treatment Projects

The Bull Run Filtration Project will reduce the impact of turbidity events and remove Cryptosporidium and other potential contaminants from the Bull Run supply, producing cleaner, safer water for the nearly one million people who use our water today and for future generations. The project is required by the federal Safe Drinking Water Act and a compliance agreement with the Oregon Health Authority.

Learn more about the filtration project