Commissioner Mingus Mapps and the Portland Water Bureau invite everyone who uses Portland’s drinking water to attend a virtual Town Hall about lead in drinking water from 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 9.
This is an opportunity for the community to hear information from the Water Bureau and Commissioner Mapps and for the bureau to hear concerns and to answer questions.
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwtdO2hrzIqEtM71UKeAPfwFwJA8SwEv5La
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
“Protecting the health of my community is a responsibility I take seriously. We’ve been proactively investing in our system to reduce lead at taps for decades,” said Portland Water Bureau Director Gabriel Solmer. “By April 2022, Portland will have its strongest tool yet to make drinking water safer for everyone, regardless of plumbing inside homes, schools and buildings: a new Improved Corrosion Control Treatment Facility.”
There are no safe levels of lead exposure. Fortunately, there are very few sources of lead in Portland’s drinking water system. In Portland, lead in water primarily comes from home plumbing such as faucets or lead-based solder. Portland’s water is naturally corrosive, and lead in plumbing can be released when it is in contact with water. The bureau treats drinking water to make it less corrosive by raising the pH of the water.
“I support the Water Bureau’s commitment to providing safe drinking water to people in our community,” said Water Commissioner Mingus Mapps. “I invite everyone to come to this town hall to learn together and speak up about your concerns. Like you, I’ll be there to listen and learn.”
The Portland Water Bureau works closely with the Multnomah County Health Department, providing funding to support investigations of elevated blood lead levels in children and sharing all customer requested lead in water test results to identify possible cases of elevated lead due to drinking water.
There are simple steps customers can take to reduce exposure to lead in water:
1) Test. The easiest step is totest your water for lead. Portland Water Bureau offers free lead-in-water test kits through the LeadLine at LeadLine.org or 503-988-4000. Due to an increase in requests, it may take several weeks longer than typical to receive a test kit and results.
2) Flush. If home plumbing is contributing lead to drinking water, simply flush the water before using for 30 seconds to 2 minutes, until it becomes colder. Running the tap flushes water that may contain lead from pipes and can reduce the lead levels by as much as 90 percent.
3) Learn: Save the date and register for this important town hall.
For more information, visit LeadLine.org. For updates on the Improved Corrosion Control facility, visit portland.gov/water/bullruntreatment/corrosion-control.
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About the Portland Water Bureau
The Portland Water Bureau serves water to almost a million people in the Portland area. Portland’s water system includes two great water sources, 53 tanks and reservoirs, and 2,200 miles of pipes. With 600 employees working on everything from water treatment to customer service, the Water Bureau is committed to serving excellent water every minute of every day.