A recent Multnomah County land use decision puts the City of Portland on track to restart construction of the Bull Run Filtration facility as soon as possible, ending costly delays for a project critical for the region’s economy and public health.
On Monday, June 23, Multnomah County posted the hearings officer’s decision reapproving the Portland Water Bureau’s earlier land use approval to build a drinking water filtration facility and pipelines in East Multnomah County. The decision will be final when mailed to interested parties.
“With the Multnomah County hearings officer’s approval now in place, we can move forward with one of the most important infrastructure projects for the future of our region: the water filtration facility and the pipelines to carry clean and safe drinking water from the Bull Run Watershed in East Multnomah County to communities throughout the region,” said Mayor Wilson.
“This decision allows us to move forward to protect public health, and to provide resilience to wildfires, landslides, flooding, and other natural disasters,” Mayor Keith Wilson said. “The city is eager to put hundreds of construction tradespeople back to work to complete these critical water system improvements.”
Road to reapproval
In November 2023, Multnomah County and Clackamas County approved the Water Bureau’s land use applications for the filtration facility and pipelines, allowing the project to move forward into the construction phase. The Multnomah County decision was appealed to the Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA) by project opponents. In January 2025, LUBA remanded (sent back to Multnomah County) only one item that related to the County’s definition of the term “natural resources”.
In April, Multnomah County held a public hearing over whether the project would adversely effect natural resources. The comprehensive public land use process provided Portland Water Bureau and project opponents multiple opportunities to be heard, resulting in extensive written and public comments.
This week’s decision considers natural resources and concludes the project will “not adversely affect any category of natural resources”—and therefore can proceed. The decision also established nine new or revised conditions that will further protect and improve wildlife habitat and provide water quality improvements to Johnson Creek.
“This is a critical milestone for a coordinated effort spanning multiple jurisdictions and community partners,” said Deputy City Administrator for Public Works Priya Dhanapal. “The extensive Multnomah County public land use process provided the project opponents with multiple full and fair opportunities to be heard. The Multnomah County hearings officer reviewed their considerable testimony related to natural resources and still found that the key criterion for our project was met.”
With the reapproval of the land use permits, Portland will put hundreds of construction professionals back to work to complete these critical water system improvements. Work is expected to resume Monday morning.
“This decision further confirms that this is the right place and right time for the project,” DCA Dhanapal said. “I’m especially grateful to the staff who have navigated complex legal, regulatory, and operational challenges to bring us to this point. With this filtration project, we will meet a critical need to protect public health and support a thriving regional economy.”
Real costs of delay
Portland is under a regulatory deadline of September 2027 to bring filtration online to protect vulnerable drinking water users. The recent delay in the land use approval process has been costly for the project and customers. Even more important, the temporary pause in construction placed at risk the nearly one million people who rely on safe, reliable drinking water.
Filtration is a widely used treatment method by water utilities nationwide. It is an essential part of a water system that will protect public health and support a thriving economy. The City can now resume building a filtration facility that can remove potential water contaminants—those that are known and those that might arise in the future.
Filtration benefits include:
- Protecting public health with proven technology to remove Cryptosporidium and other contaminants that can make people sick, meeting mandatory state and federal requirements.
- Safeguarding against wildfires, landslides, flooding, and other natural disasters so the City can safely serve Bull Run water during and after any of these events.
- Providing earthquake resilience with facilities and pipelines built to the latest seismic standards to help ensure water will be available soon after a large earthquake.
- Reducing cancer-causing disinfection byproducts by removing organic materials that lead to their formation.
“The Bull Run Filtration project is a critical investment in Portland’s future. With the Multnomah County hearings officer’s approval, we can move forward with delivering the safe, reliable water our community deserves,” said Interim Water Bureau Director Quisha Light. “This project protects public health, meets federal and state drinking water standards, and lays the foundation for a stronger, more resilient water system. Now, we can get back to work—managing costs carefully, meeting our regulatory commitments, and completing the vital improvements Portlanders are counting on, now and well into the future.”
Read more about the project timeline, construction updates, and neighborhood outreach.
Visit the Multnomah County website for more information about the land use process.