The Portland Water Bureau discovered a leak in one of the supply conduits running from the Bull Run watershed, requiring them to use groundwater.
PORTLAND, Ore. — The Portland Water Bureau is leaning on its backup supply for drinking water after one of the pipes from city’s mountain runoff-fed watershed sprung a leak, the city agency said.
Staff found the leak Wednesday in a conduit that delivers water from the Bull Run supply near Mount Hood down to Portland. The Water Bureau said it will need to take that conduit offline and repair it.
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To supplement the Bull Run water in the meantime, the city is using water from the Columbia South Shore Well Field, which is sourced from aquifers deep below ground. The city stressed that the water meets or exceeds all state and federal drinking water quality standards.
It can take up to two weeks for the groundwater blend to distribute throughout the city and reach the taps of all Portland residents, the city said. It’s not clear how long the repairs will take.
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Portland taps into its groundwater backup supply every few years, and the well field is maintained for just such a purpose, according to Portland Public Utilities Director Dr. Ting Lu.
“Our water system is designed for resilience,” said Lu in a statement. “Having two high-quality drinking water sources, the Bull Run Watershed and our groundwater system, ensures we can respond rapidly to maintain a safe, reliable water supply for our community.”
Operations Manager Kimberly Gupta thanked the Water Bureau staff who responded to keep the water system working.
“Getting water to flow from a faucet seems simple, but it takes the hard work of engineers, construction crews, customer service staff, certified operators and more to continually deliver safe water,” said Gupta.
Portland water customers with questions can contact the Water Quality Line at 503-823-7525.