From Forest to Faucet
June 14, 2013
Yesterday, Nick and his team had the incredible opportunity to visit the Bull Run watershed with Portland Water Bureau (PWB) Director David Shaff and his team.
The watershed is the primary source of drinking water for the City of Portland and its 19 wholesale customers.
102 square miles of the federally-protected Bull Run watershed (147 square miles in all) drains into the Bull Run River and its tributaries. The river drains into two reservoirs, which together store more than 17 billion gallons. Because the water is so pure, it needs only a gentle cleaning before entering the three conduits (pipes) that transport it to Portland. The water moves through the system by gravity, requiring no fossil fuel consumption to move water from the watershed to the main storage reservoir at Powell Butte.
Recently, Nick became Commissioner in charge of the Portland Water Bureau. This tour was a tremendous learning experience about the bureau and the incredible water they deliver to our community.
The entire day was truly remarkable.
PWB provides 80 tours a year to the Bull Run. Click here to sign up for a tour.