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Monthly update of Bull Run Filtration project construction schedule milestones and cost and budget status. This page was last updated October 1, 2026.
The Portland Water Bureau is building a new water filtration facility and related pipelines to protect public health and comply with safe drinking water regulations. We are working diligently to meet our regulatory obligation and successfully steward this generational investment in public health and system resilience.
This webpage is updated regularly to reflect new information about Bull Run Filtration Project schedule milestones and cost and budget status.
Schedule
We started project construction in June 2024 and are fully focused on a strong finish so that we can begin delivering filtered Bull Run water in 2029. When complete, the new filtration facility and pipelines will provide cleaner, safer water that benefits the health of our communities for generations.
Read the August 2026 Bull Run Treatment Projects Update
Construction progress
As of end of August 2026, the project is 41.00 percent complete.
As of end of August 2026, recent construction milestones include:
- Continued placing an average of 1,000 cubic yards of concrete and about 900 linear feet of yard piping at the facility site each week.
- Installed 85 percent of the concrete slabs for the treatment process basins.
- Installed 90 percent of two 72-inch diameter pipelines that will bring water across the facility site to the treatment basins.
- Completed installing most of the structural steel framing and began roofing the administration and chemical storage buildings.
- Completed masonry walls and started installing roofing and siding for the electrical buildings.
- Installed more than 10,300 linear feet of new resilient pipelines to connect the facility to the existing water system.
- Completed installing two pipeline connections to the existing conduits near the county line.
- Excavated about 738 feet of the 1,245-foot north tunnel and 232 feet of the 1,245-foot south tunnel needed to connect pipelines to the facility site.
- Excavated about 220 feet of the 237-foot deep pipeline shaft in the facility's southeast corner.
- Completed installation of the pipeline microtunnel under Carpenter Lane.
- Completed significant work for the underground vault at the finished water intertie.
Learn more about current and upcoming construction work
Cost and budget
The total funding for the Bull Run Treatment Program is $2.58 billion. The program funding includes the completed $20 million Improved Corrosion Control Treatment Project, $101 million in program financing, and the $2.46 billion Bull Run Filtration Project.
The project budget for the filtration facility and pipelines is from federal loans, bonds, and water revenues from rates, fees, and charges. The project budget includes the cost of completed phases of planning, design, and construction, as well as the estimated cost to finish construction and bring the new facilities online.
As of end of August 2026, $986.89 million has been spent to date of the $2.46 billion budget for the Bull Run Filtration Project.
Learn more about project costs and funding
Contracting and workforce
Certified firm participation
Project construction includes nearly $400 million in contracts with firms certified by the Certification Office for Business Inclusion and Diversity (COBID).
| Certified firm COBID category | Contract value |
|---|---|
| Minority Business Enterprises (MBE) | $280.46 million |
| Women Business Enterprises (WBE) | $68.92 million |
| Emerging Small Businesses/Other (ESB/Other) | $1.81 million |
| Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE) | $4.30 million |
| To be determined (TBD) | $41.07 million |
| Total | $396.56 million |
Apprentice participation
Project construction commits 20 percent of total workforce hours to apprentice level workers. This includes apprenticeship hours in up to 17 different trades: laborer, power equipment operator, carpenter, electrician, plumber/pipefitter/steamfitter, ironworker, cement mason, boilermaker, tender to mason trades, sprinkler fitter, bricklayer/stonemason, sheet metal worker, flagger, landscape laborer, limited energy electrician, piledriver, and truck driver.
As of March 2026, 15.65 percent of total workforce hours have been completed by apprentice level workers. This includes apprenticeship hours in a dozen different trades.
Due to implementation of a new workforce reporting system, updated data is not yet available after March 2026. New data will be added when available.
Accountability
The Water Bureau is carefully managing costs and risks as we work to deliver these critical projects which are needed to meet safe drinking water regulations and continue serving excellent water every minute of every day.
The bureau has established a comprehensive framework to ensure the transparent and effective delivery of the Bull Run Filtration Project. Current measures include independent value engineering that saved over $200 million, expert-led advisory teams, and rigorous claims analysis to maintain contract compliance.
Moving forward, the bureau is expanding public transparency with regular status updates and is recruiting an independent financial oversight panel of industry experts to begin reviews in fall 2026.
Annual Reports to Council
Every year, we update City Council on the status of these projects and progress we have made over the prior fiscal year. Links to past Annual Reports to Council are provided below.
- 2025 Bull Run Treatment Projects Annual Report to Council
- 2024 Bull Run Treatment Projects Annual Report to Council
- 2023 Bull Run Treatment Projects Annual Report to Council
- 2022 Bull Run Treatment Projects Annual Report to Council
- 2021 Bull Run Treatment Projects Annual Report to Council
- 2020 Bull Run Treatment Projects Annual Report to Council
- 2019 Bull Run Treatment Projects Annual Report to Council
- 2018 Bull Run Treatment Projects Annual Report to Council
Project Delivery Advisory Team
In 2026, we convened a Project Delivery Advisory Team (PDAT) to strengthen construction delivery, enhance accountability, and serve the community. The PDAT pairs national infrastructure construction management experts with representatives of the Portland Utility Board (PUB) and is supporting project leadership with recommendations to help reduce future risks to the project construction cost and schedule.
The PDAT will continue to share findings with PUB and City Council during planned meetings throughout 2026.
Learn more about the Project Delivery Advisory Team
Timeline
Key Portland City Council milestones related to the Bull Run Filtration projects include:
- June 2017: City Council Work Session on the variance revocation and treatment options, including comparative costs.
- August 2017: Presented treatment options to City Council, and Council approved Resolution 37309 to submit a compliance plan for design and construction of a filtration facility.
- December 2017: Signed a Bilateral Compliance Agreement with OHA that requires the filtration facility to be operational by September 30, 2027.
- June 2018: Submitted first Bull Run Treatment Projects Annual Report to Council.
- August 2018:
- City Council Work Session on Filtration.
- City Council authorized use of the alternative contracting method Construction Manager/General Contractor (CM/GC) in connection with the Filtration Facility Project (Ordinance 189146).
- City Council authorized the program management contract for Filtration (Ordinance 189147).
- December 2018: City Council authorized Resolution 37402 choosing the location, technology, capacity, and procurement method for the filtration program.
- June 2019: Submitted second Bull Run Treatment Projects Annual Report to Council.
- October 2019: City Council authorized the acquisition of 1.87 acres of real property (Ordinance 189749).
- November 2019:
- City Council approved Resolution 37460 that set priority values, expectations, and a recommended option to guide the design and implementation of Filtration.
- City Council authorized the design contract for the Filtration Facility (Ordinance 189778).
- April 2020: City Council authorized water revenue bonds to finance water system capital improvements and refund water revenue bonds to utilize Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) financing (Ordinance 189922).
- June 2020: Submitted third Bull Run Treatment Projects Annual Report to Council.
- December 2020:
- City Council authorized the design contract for the Filtration Pipelines (Ordinance 190242).
- City Council authorized use of the alternative contracting method CM/GC in connection with the Filtration Pipelines Project (Ordinance 190245).
- February 2021: The Water Bureau signed a WIFIA agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency.
- March 2021: City Council authorized purchase of two acres of real property (Ordinance 190322).
- June 2021: Submitted fourth Bull Run Treatment Projects Annual Report to Council.
- July 2022: Submitted fifth Bull Run Treatment Projects Annual Report to Council.
- December 2022: City Council authorized the Water Bureau to acquire certain permanent and temporary property rights necessary for construction of the Bull Run Filtration Projects through negotiation or the exercise of the City's eminent domain authority (Ordinance 191094).
- June 2023:
- Submitted sixth Bull Run Treatment Projects Annual Report to Council.
- Report to Council recommending extension of contract with Brown and Caldwell, Inc., for program management and support.
- Report to Council recommending award of a CM/GC contract and GMP1 for construction of the Filtration Facility.
- Report to Council recommending award of a CM/GC contract and GMP1 for construction of the Filtration Pipelines.
- July 2023:
- City Council authorized the Water Bureau to construct the Filtration Facility in two phases with two GMPs (Ordinance 191368).
- City Council authorized the Water Bureau to construct the Filtration Pipelines in two phases with two GMPs (Ordinance 191369).
- March 2024: City Council authorized an emergency contract for arborist services (Ordinance 191665).
- April 2024:
- City Council authorized the Water Bureau to amend Ordinance 191094 to acquire certain permanent and temporary property rights necessary for construction of the Bull Run Filtration Projects through negotiation or the exercise of the City's eminent domain authority (Ordinance 191674).
- Submitted seventh Bull Run Treatment Projects Annual Report to Council.
- Report to Council recommending amendment of CM/GC total contract amount and acceptance of GMP2 for construction of the Filtration Facility.
- Report to Council recommending amendment of CM/GC total contract amount and acceptance of GMP2 for construction of the Filtration Pipelines.
- October 2024: Report to Council recommending extension of contract with Stantec Consulting Services, Inc., for design and construction support services for the Bull Run Filtration Projects.
- October 2025: Submitted eighth Bull Run Treatment Projects Annual Report to Council.
Stay up to date
- Find the latest construction activity information on our website
- Sign up to receive Bull Run Filtration Project:
- Find upcoming events (including monthly neighbor meetings)
- Learn about the Good Neighbor Agreement
- Contact us: