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Land use approvals important Filtration milestone

Blog Post
Published
Aerial map showing location of project relative to local roadways.

The Portland Water Bureau achieved an important milestone toward meeting the September 2027 compliance deadline.

Recently, hearings officers in both Multnomah and Clackamas counties approved the Water Bureau’s land use applications related to the planned filtration facility. The water filtration facility, pipelines, and communications tower will be built in Multnomah County, and an emergency access road to the new facility will be constructed in Clackamas County.

“Bull Run Filtration is essential to protecting public health and complying with federal and state safe drinking water regulations,” says Portland Water Bureau Chief Engineer Jodie Inman. “The Water Bureau appreciates both counties’ thoughtful consideration of our land use applications. The hearings officers’ approvals of our land use applications are critical steps in our ongoing work to have these water system improvements in place by September 2027.”

The City of Portland has a Bilateral Compliance Agreement with the Oregon Health Authority that requires the Water Bureau to begin delivering filtered water to customers by September 30, 2027, to remove Cryptosporidium from the Bull Run drinking water supply. Filtration is a widely used treatment method that will remove sediment, organic material, and other potential contaminants from our water. Once filtration is in place, we will be better prepared to respond to fires, large storms, landslides, and future water quality regulations.

A rendering of the filtration facility showing layout of the buildings, landscaping, roads, and parking areas.

Achieving this land use milestone allows us to continue moving into the construction phase, which also helps us manage project costs. “Meeting the compliance deadline is important not only to provide this essential public health tool but also to control costs for our ratepayers,” says Jodie. “We are actively reviewing the conditions of approval and coordinating with permitting agencies on final required permits. We are also working with our contractors to make sure they understand our commitments to the counties and the community.”   

Public health and safety are a top priority in everything we do at the Water Bureau. We know construction can be tough for neighbors, so our plans include strategies to reduce the burden construction would place on the area. This includes sequencing construction around local agricultural activities, designating certain haul routes for trucks, and having contractors avoid specific roads when school is in session. The Water Bureau is also committed to prioritizing local and emergency vehicle access during construction.

We will continue sharing information about planned work areas and timing through project e-newsletters, website updates, and other outreach. We will also continue to solicit input from the community as we work to build the filtration facility that will help keep our community and our drinking water healthy and safe for generations to come.