Bull Run Treatment Projects Fact Sheet

Portland Water Bureau is building a filtration facility and pipelines, and recently completed an Improved Corrosion Control Treatment facility. These projects are needed to comply with federal Safe Drinking Water Act regulations. The Improved Corrosion Control Treatment Project was completed in April 2022 and is improving treatment for lead until permanent treatment is incorporated into the filtration process. The Filtration Project is required to be completed by 2027 and will further protect our health, support our economy, and prepare us for the future — keeping our water safe and abundant for generations to come.

How Filtration Will Treat Bull Run Water

1. Clean and safe water starts in the highly protected Bull Run Watershed.
   
    
2. Silt and small particles will settle out and be removed.
    
3. Microorganisms and any remaining silt or particles will be removed by filtration.
    
4. Proven and safe treatment will continue to reduce the corrosion of lead. It will also protect filtered water from bacteria and viruses.

Benefits of These Projects

For Our Health: Making sure our water is safe for everyone

• Upgraded treatment is making Bull Run water less corrosive to lead found in some home and building plumbing.
• Filtration will remove Cryptosporidium and other disease-causing microorganisms from our drinking water starting in 2027.
• Treatment will reduce regulated compounds that can cause cancer (disinfection byproducts) by removing organics in the water.
• Our water will be better protected from toxins, bacteria, and viruses using proven treatment.

For Our Economy: Creating jobs and investing in infrastructure to help our community thrive

• The Bull Run Treatment Projects will create thousands of jobs in the Portland metropolitan area.
• Construction projects include equity contracting and diverse workforce commitments to create job opportunities for people of color and women in the construction trades. 
• Filtration allows us to more consistently deliver the high-quality water that our industries and local businesses depend on.

For Our Future: Providing a more resilient water system and greater protection

• Improved treatment will prepare us to better respond to future water quality regulations. 
• New seismically resilient pipelines will connect the filtration facility to the existing water system. 
• The Bull Run supply will be able to recover more quickly from a fire, landslide, or major storm. 
• New facilities will maintain use of gravity flow to carry filtered water to town, which is more reliable and energy-efficient than pumped systems. 

Creating Jobs: By the Numbers

Planning 

• 18 New Jobs
• 22 percent of contract dollars committed to equity contractors

Design

• 41 New Jobs
• 20 percent of contract dollars committed to equity contractors

Construction and Startup

• 4,700 New Jobs
• 25 percent of hard construction contract dollars committed to equity contractors

Delivering Value 

Community values are guiding the Water Bureau’s project decisions for these important improvements to the Bull Run water system. This includes ongoing cost management to balance water rate affordability with water quality and resilience goals and adapt to cost increases from changes in the construction economy.

We deliver the best value by:

• Smoothing rate impacts over time and continuously improving efficiency in bureau operations and programs.
• Securing a low-interest Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loan to build the Bull Run Treatment Projects that will provide at least $247 million of debt-service savings over the loan term.
• Providing a robust financial assistance program to be responsive to our community’s needs.

Forecasted annual water rate increases cover three main investments

Notes: Forecasted annual rate increase is updated annually. The rate increases for the three main investments are estimates. Actual rate increases are subject to Portland City Council approval annually.