Ronjunior Posted November 11, 2006 Share Posted November 11, 2006 Thought I'd pass this info that was sent to me for those in PDX. Portland Water Bureau Shutting Off Bull Run Supply - Printable Version Contact: Tricia Knoll, Public Information, 503-823-7510 November 7, 2006 Portland Water Bureau Is Shutting Off Bull Run Supply Portland, OR — Due to increased stream flows that have caused a rise in turbidity in the Bull Run Watershed supply, the PortlandWater Bureau is shutting off the flow from the Bull Runsupply and relying on the Columbia South Shore Well Field groundwater supply. Turbidity is a measurement of suspended particles in drinking water. “Rainfall in Bull Run has been substantial. We had 11 inches of rain at the north fork of the Bull RunRiver over a 24-hour period and 3.4” at Bull Run Headworks. That rainfall is bringing between 9 and 11 billion gallons of water into the Bull Run reservoirs. Yesterday’s total city demand was 85 million gallons and today’s is much lower – so there is a lot of surplus water flowing through the system,” said Administrator David G. Shaff. “The streamflows we’re seeing increase turbidity in the water. Since Portland ’s water system is not filtered, we need to monitor turbidity in the Bull Run supply closely. We can monitor it minute to minute. The time has come to shut down the Bull Run supply even though if you were to look at water from Bull Run in a glass right now, it would look perfectly clear. Turbidity, however, is still creeping up. We will let the public know when we return to the Bull Run supply. We’re very fortunate to have the well field system that served us this summer to meet summer demand during a warm and long summer. Few water systems have two water supplies. In Portland’s case, the Bull Run and well field resources are the two largest water supplies in Oregon.” This is the 7th time the Portland Water Bureau has relied on the well field during turbidity events since the well field was developed in the early 1980s. This summer the well field provided more than 3.5 billion gallons of water to meet summer demand over a 78-day period. Drawdown this year was longer than usual, but the reservoirs were completely full as of midnight last night – and there is a flow of 8.5 feet of water over the spillway at Dam 1 in Bull Run and another 3.5 feet over the spillway at Dam 2. Forest to faucet, the Bull Run Watershed is a generous water supply. ### For photos showing turbidity levels in water, see today's Water Blog. From: http://www.portlandonline.com/water/index.cfm?c=37469&a=136970 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldbrownies Posted November 12, 2006 Share Posted November 12, 2006 grrrr.... right when my water finally clears up from that nasty columbia well water, they turn it back on. and I have no idea why they shut off bull run if its not clear, when the columbia well water comes out of my pipes a nasty tea brown color and clogs my sediment filter on my ro after only 10 gallons of water Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vanz Posted November 12, 2006 Share Posted November 12, 2006 Does this affect beaverton as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inkto Posted November 12, 2006 Share Posted November 12, 2006 Less than a quarter of Beaverton's poplulation is supplied by the TVWD... you'd have to find the water district maps to see where you fall. I can't seem to find my link anywhere. The water quality reports they send out every so often usually has the map in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inkto Posted November 12, 2006 Share Posted November 12, 2006 http://www.beavertonoregon.gov/departments/gis/publicservices_maps.aspx#waterservice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldbrownies Posted November 12, 2006 Share Posted November 12, 2006 parts of beaverton get water from the tualitin river and haag lake (I think), along with hillsboro and aloha, and I think just part of beaverton but by the time the water gets to you the sediments would mostly settle out, and you might have noticed the difference already if you do have it, because since late june this year the columbia water field has been used to supply as much as 50% of the water supply. Its just bad for me in troudale since I am at the start of the supply pretty much check this map though, it tells you the water districts around the area http://www.tvwd.org/images/service_area_map.jpg and this, unrelated article about contruction, has info on sources, http://www.beavertonoregon.gov/departments/publicworks/utilities/drinkingwaterprogram.aspx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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