A Portland-owned facility in unincorporated East Multnomah County now is treating Bull Run water to reduce lead seeping into older homes and buildings.
Additions to the Portland Water Bureau's Lusted Hill Treatment Facility went online on April 20. They allow operators to change the pH and alkalinity of Bull Run water that causes lead to leech out of the solder in copper water pipes in homes and buildings built and plumbed between 1970 and 1985.
The Improved Corrosion Control Treatment project was required to meet the Lead and Copper Rule first issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1991 to comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act. It is enforced by the Oregon Health Authority.
"I committed to being the last city commissioner to tackle the harmful problem of lead exposure through drinking water," said Water Commissioner Mingus Mapps when the upgrades went online. "Improved Corrosion Control is a pivotal milestone toward achieving this goal."
"The Improved Corrosion Control Treatment Facility is our strongest tool yet to make drinking water safer for everyone, regardless of the plumbing inside their home, school and building," Water Bureau Director Gabriel Solmer said. "I am proud of our dedicated water quality and operations teams who have honored our commitment to the community."
The project cost $20.4 million, which was $4 million less than the City Council approved for it. It consists of two 50-foot-tall white silos that add sodium carbonate (soda ash) to the water, a large white tank that adds carbon dioxide, connecting pipes, and multiple computers and control panels that allow the balances to be adjusted. Both naturally occurring substances increase the pH and alkalinity of Bull Run water, making it less corrosive to lead and other metals found in some plumbing. Many other water districts around the country already use them. Many other water districts around the country already use pH and alkalinity adjustment for corrosion control. The Joint Water Commission uses caustic soda, which is the same as sodium hydroxide."
The bureau first began treating Bull Run water for lead with calcium at the facility in 1998 and already had reduced the levels in high-risk homes by 60%. But required testing showed lead levels exceeded the rule's limits in 2013. The bureau conducted a study to determine the best way to come into compliance and entered into an agreement in November 2016 to complete the work by April 2022.
The year after the bureau agreed to add the treatment equipment, the bureau began repeatedly discovering the cryptosporidium parasite in Bull Run water. It also violates rules enforced by the Oregon Health Authority because certain varieties can sicken people and can even be deadly. To eliminate the threat, the council agreed to build a filtration facility three-quarters of a mile downstream from the Lusted Hill facility. Much or all of the treatment equipment there — including the new additions — will have to be moved downstream of the filtration plant before it goes online.
Bureau officials say the stakes were too high to delay the new equipment for five years. Lead can cause brain damage, especially in young children. An estimated 15,000 Portland homes were constructed or plumbed between 1970 and 1985, and an additional 30,000 are estimated in districts that receive water from the Portland bureau. Older brass components and faucets also can contribute to lead in drinking water. All those pipes and fixtures are owned by the home and business owners. A D V E R T I S I N G | Continue reading below
A crisis hit Portland Public Schools in May 2016 when it was revealed that the water in 47 schools exceeded minimal regulated lead standards. Drinking fountains were shut off and bottled water was shipped into all the schools until their lead-contaminated pipes were replaced.
Water Bureau officials are not sure how much the upgrades will reduce lead in high-risk homes and buildings. In addition to the Health Authority-required semi-annual testing, the bureau has been testing additional homes, buildings and test sites monthly. The mix of sodium carbonate and carbon dioxide will be adjusted to increase effectiveness.
Altogether, the bureau provides water to almost a million people in the Portland area, including other water districts. Portland's system includes the Bull Run and backup Columbia River Groundwater Wells sources, 53 tanks and reservoirs, and 2,200 miles of pipes.
The council did not have to increase water rates to fund the project. The bureau was able to secure a low-cost Water Infrastructure Finance Innovation Act loan from the Environmental Protection Agency to help finance it.
"All of us want to know that when we turn on the tap, the water that comes out will be safe for us and our families," said U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon. "That's why I created the WIFIA program nine years ago, and why I'm so glad that the Portland Water Bureau is using the program to upgrade their treatment systems."
Bureau officials said the project also exceeded city Social Equity Contracting Initiative goals. More than $4 million — approximately 55% of the project's hard construction costs — was subcontracted with firms certified by the state's Certification Office for Business Inclusion and Diversity, exceeding the 22% goal. A D V E R T I S I N G | Continue reading below
More than 11,000 hours were performed by minority and women apprentices and journey-level tradespeople, exceeding the 31% goal. And 1% of the contract dollars will be invested in the city Community Opportunities and Enhancement Program that provides grants to increase diversity of business owners and tradespeople in Portland's construction industry.
Anyone can order a free water quality test kit from the water bureau. Because lead can accumulate in water that has been sitting in contaminated plumbing, the bureau recommends those in high-risk homes and buildings run the faucet in the morning for 30 seconds to two minutes to clear out any potentially infected water.
Long look at cleaner water
The Improved Corrosion Control Treatment project by the numbers:
• The filtration plant approved by the City Council is scheduled to begin operating by Sept. 30, 2027. A D V E R T I S I N G | Continue reading below
• The plant design is 60% complete.
• The pipeline design is 30% complete.
• Construction is scheduled to start in fall 2023.
• The cost for all Bull Run Treatment Projects, including the Improved Corrosion Control Treatment and Filtration, is $1.48 billion.
• All are partly funded by a low-interest (1.89%) $726 million federal Water Infrastructure Finance Innovation Act loan.
You count on us to stay informed and we depend on you to fund our efforts. Quality local journalism takes time and money. Please support us to protect the future of community journalism.
Portland Tribune Beaverton Valley Times Tigard Tualatin Times Lake Oswego Review West Linn Tidings Wilsonville Spokesman Hillsboro Tribune Forest Grove News Times Newberg Graphic Clackamas Review Oregon City News The Outlook Sandy Post Estacada News Canby Herald Woodburn Independent Molalla Pioneer Columbia County Spotlight Regal Courier Sherwood Gazette The Bee Southwest Community Connection
Columns Public Notices Oregon Property Foreclosures Business Calendar Business Leads News Links Plan Center Marketing
Columns Public Notices Oregon Property Foreclosures Business Calendar Business Leads News Links Plan Center Marketing
Columns Public Notices Oregon Property Foreclosures Business Calendar Business Leads News Links Plan Center Marketing
Columns Public Notices Oregon Property Foreclosures Business Calendar Business Leads News Links Plan Center Marketing
Weekly Ads This Week's Circulars Find your Next Vehicle Special Sections Insiders
News Tips Letters to the Editor Births | Anniversaries | Weddings | Engagements | Business | Birthday | Obituaries Community Calendar
Weekly Ads This Week's Circulars Find your Next Vehicle Special Sections Insiders
News Tips Letters to the Editor Births | Anniversaries | Weddings | Engagements | Business | Birthday | Obituaries Community Calendar
Advertise with Us Current Job Openings
© 2022 Pamplin Media Group | All rights reserved | 6605 SE Lake Rd, Portland, OR 97222 | 503-684-0360 | Privacy Policy | Refund Policy