Tell Portland’s City Council ‘NO’ to a Water Filtration Plant and ‘YES’ to a Natural Ultraviolet Solution

The Portland Water Bureau (PWB) is rapidly pushing forward with a water filtration facility that adds chemicals to our water source and will cost over 1.85 Billion dollars thus dramatically increasing your water bill.

The current plan will add 9 chemicals to our water source, and includes taking rural land from Multnomah County families. A better solution is readily available. A cost effective system cities like San Francisco, and New York currently have in place to ensure safe water. It is UV Filtration and it can be installed at the headwaters of Bull Run for a fraction of the cost of the filtration plant.

Yes, the City of Portland has an alternative on the table: a solution that WONT skyrocket your water rates projected as much as 300%!

The last vote for the filtration plant was taken in 2017, and except for Mayor Ted Wheeler none of the 4 current council members were in office at the time. THEY DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE ORIGINAL VOTE.

Let City Council know you expect them to stop the permit process to build a wasteful and unnecessary 1.85 billon dollar filtration plant, and ask your family, friends and neighbors to help too.

You can also learn more about why you should oppose the filtration plant at bullrunwaterguardians, and we encourage you to donate to the current lawsuit with the Land Use Board of Appeals.

Portland Water Bureau Filtration Plant

Dear Mayor and Commissioners,

Along with thousands of other Portlanders, I am concerned that the Portland Water Bureau water treatment plant has grown to a staggering 2.3 BILLION, after a vote in 2017 by city council not to exceed 500 million.  The current projection of rate increases is an 8.1% increase year after year for residential and business customers until 2030.  This means nearly a 50% increase in water cost in 5 years, and 115% in 10 years.

Oregon is rich in water resources and our water should continue to be affordable, yet this change will make our water among the most expensive in the country. The public should not take on the burden of a government legacy filtration project that feels good for public works and extends a windfall of revenue to favored businesses.  Even now, Oregon Health Authority and Portland Water Bureau are able to agree to an amendment to pivot to affordable ultraviolet at the headwaters, and stop this gross waste of taxpayer dollars.

The federal requirement only requires treatment of cryptosporidium in our water source.  We are aware that other options are available  such as UV, and that the PWB arguments of the additional benefits of a filtration plant do not justify adding 9 chemicals to our natural water source that has served the metro Portland area for over 100 years.

Current economic conditions of record inflation, increased food and utility costs are draining our budgets and are heavy on the minds of all Portlanders. The exodus of ratepayers and wholesale customers mean fewer people to share in the costs of the water bureaus operations.  This filtration plant will impact businesses, schools, health clubs, hotels, coffee shops, breweries, agriculture and restaurants, and homestead gardeners, forcing increased rates and making access to clean drinking water unaffordable.

Therefore, I urge you to support the protection of safe, affordable water for our community, while being good stewards of Portlanders/voters/citizens funds.  I urge you to STOP the reckless spending, avoid any further unnecessary overspending towards a filtration treatment plant and consider other more cost-effective options such as building a UV approved plant at Headworks with is 100 million which is less than 5% of the cost of the filtration plant.

We urge you to learn more at: www.BullRunWaterGuardians.com

Respectfully,

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