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Portland Water Bureau to activate groundwater system

Press Release
An aerial photo of a groundwater pump station next to the Columbia River
Dry weather and above average temperatures prompt the need to augment the Bull Run supply.
Published

Starting tomorrow, Thursday, October 10th, the Portland Water Bureau will begin blending groundwater from the Columbia South Shore Well Field into the distribution system.

Due to the predominantly dry weather, warm temperatures, and available long-term weather forecasts, the Portland Water Bureau will use groundwater to augment water from the Bull Run Watershed—Portland’s primary water source. 

“Portland’s two high-quality drinking water sources help create a resilient water system,” Interim Director Edward Campbell said. “Careful planning and maintenance ensure that groundwater is here to fully meet our regional water needs.”

Customers can expect to receive a blend of Bull Run water and Columbia South Shore Well Field water. It can take up to two weeks, depending on location, for the blended water to make its way through the distribution system to homes and businesses.

“We rely on our customers’ investments to pay for the infrastructure that makes it possible to deliver drinking water whenever we need it,” Director Campbell added. “When customers pay their bills, they’re making an investment that makes it possible to deliver safe, clean water every day.”

The Columbia South Shore Well Field is a high-quality water supply that meets or surpasses all federal and state drinking water regulations. The well field is supplied by deep aquifers that store rain that falls in the Portland Basin. Learn more about our groundwater here. 

The Portland Water Bureau informs the media and sensitive water users when we activate groundwater or make significant operational changes. We will issue a notification if we make significant changes to the groundwater operation and when we return to 100 percent Bull Run water. Sensitive water users can sign up online to be directly notified by the Portland Water Bureau.

Customers with questions should call the Water Quality Line at 503-823-7525.