A recent Harris Poll found that one thing economical-minded consumers have been cutting out of their budgets in this tight economy is bottled water.

 

In fact, the poll of 2,293 adults surveyed online in October 2009, finds that 36% of adults "switched to tap water and refillable bottles instead of bottled water."

 

What great news! It sounds to me like people are truly starting to see the economic benefits of tap water.

 

In Portland:

 

748 gallons (1 ccf) of Bull Run tap water	$2.44
1,000 gallons of Bull Run tap water	$3.26
3 gallons of Bull Run tap water	$0.01

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jennie Day-Burget

Public Information Officer

You're probably familiar with Powell Butte Nature Park because of the Water Bureau project that is going on up there... or from a nice, long hike you and your family took over the summer summer...I know that my husband and I have enjoyed many a hike through the tall reeds and trees of Powell Butte. Maybe you even attended a summer concert up there... PWB was happy to be able to co-sponsor two of those concerts. What you're probably less familiar with is Powell Butte's resident coyote... we'll just call him Wiley!

 

Water Bureau Sustainability Assistant, Matt Weatherly, was recently hiking on Powell Butte when he spotted this cute, little guy.

 

He writes:

 

 "I was out w/ my family a few weeks ago when we came across this healthy, urban coyote. It was minimally cautious of us as we were able to walk within 10 feet of it."

 

Well, I must admit that I think you're brave, Matt. I'm not sure this little lady would have been caught dead within 10 feet of Wiley (or then again, maybe that's exactly how I would've been caught! LOL) but either way, cool stuff!

 

Jennie Day-Burget

Public Information Officer

Many of you have followed our work on the Sandy River Crossing Project, a project outside of the bureau's Sandy River Station that is intended to safeguard the two Bull Run conduits that are currently located at this vulnerable site.

 

Kevin Magwood of Performance Welding and Fab, is one of the contractors working inside the tunnel that has been created from this project. He sent in some really cool photos that I thought I'd share with you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jennie Day-Burget

Public Information Officer

Kendra Poma of Berkeley, CA sent in this photo of her "I Only Drink Tap Water" sticker being used as bicycle art. Thanks for sending in your photo, Kendra!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jennie Day-Burget

Only Drinks Tap!

 

 

Most of you probably don't know that our fearless Water Bureau leader, David Shaff, has a very fear-inducing hobby (small planes scare ME!); David likes to fly planes and indeed, flies often.

 

But, so typical of David, out cruising the skies last weekend on what should have been a totally non-Water Bureau WEEKEND day for him, David was thinking only of... the Portland Water Bureau!

 

David flew over both the Bull Run watershed and the Mt. Tabor Reservoirs and caught some beautiful aerial perspectives of these PWB properties on camera.  

 

Here are some of my favorites but to see more shots from his trip, check out our Flickr photostream!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jennie Day-Burget

Public Information Officer

Even though it's autumn and average residential water usage is down, now is still a great time to think about your daily water consumption and what you can do around the home to conserve.

 

Here are some tips to save water around the house this season:

• Make sure your irrigation system is drained and shut off now that we are into the rainy season. Plants, lawns, and gardens generally don't need supplemental water in the fall as the sun’s intensity decreases and there are less daylight hours.
• Now is a great time to plant water efficient perennials, shrubs and trees for next year’s enjoyment. Our long rainy season helps establish strong plant roots without supplemental water. Plant bulbs for beautiful spring color!
• Mulch, mulch, mulch! Fall is a great time to mulch your landscape because it can help protect your beds from winter erosion, add nutrients to the soil, and keep unwanted weeds from growing. In addition, many of us have mulch material readily on hand (fallen leaves!).
• Make a commitment to water conservation inside the home by checking for leaky toilets and faucets. Just one slow drip can lead to hundreds of gallons wasted over the course of a year.

Check out the free water conservation devices the Portland Water Bureau customers can order at our website -- www.portlandonline.com/water/conservation

 

Sabrina Litton

Water Conservation Assistant Program Specialist

E-mail

On Wednesday, October 28th, 2009, the Portland Water Bureau will discontinue its current run of groundwater supply from the Columbia South Shore Well Field (CSSWF). At the time of shut-off, Portland’s water system will begin delivering water only from the Bull Run watershed, Portland’s primary source of drinking water. Depending on customer location, it can take anywhere from 24 to 60 hours for the remaining groundwater to cycle through the distribution system.

 

“We are so very fortunate to have this highly functional system at the Columbia South Shore Well Field.” said Water Bureau Administrator David Shaff. “It is very reassuring to me during augmentation runs, that we have a system in place that can not only supplement seasonal demands but one that can also support us during an emergency situation.”

 

The Portland Water Bureau began operations at the CSSWF for seasonal supply augmentation reasons starting September 28th. During this run, groundwater contributed 36 million gallons per day to Portland’s water system or approximately 30-40% of the total daily demand.

 

Weather forecasts indicate that the bureau will need no further supply augmentation.

 

Customers are advised to call the Water Line at 503-823-7525 with questions or for further information.

 

Did you know that the Water Bureau is incredibly entwined in Portland’s local beer brewing industry? Like so many other breweries across the country, local favorites like Rogue, Widmer Brothers and Bridgeport are incredibly dependent on the health and robustness of Portland’s water system. If our water supply were to dwindle, for instance, it would be a huge problem for our local brewers, whose product is sustained by the use of lots and lots of Portland’s delicious drinking water!

 

According to a recent article in the Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel, concern over water availability is not necessarily localized. Brewers across the country are growing increasingly more alarmed by dwindling American water supply systems.

 

The article also says that beer is about 92% water.

No water = no beer.

 

Thankfully, breweries of all sizes, are taking steps to prepare for such shortages by making better use of their water now. As a first step, many are trying to reduce their brewing ratio. This is the amount of water to beer, used to brew one barrel. For reference, macro-brewery, SAB Miller, cites the industry standard water to beer ratio as 5:1. (5 parts water to 1 part beer)

 

• SAB Miller, who boasts both Miller and Coors beers as products, consciously uses about 4.5:1 in their brewing process, slightly less than industry standard.

 

• Sierra Nevada has future plans to install “flow meters at each stage of the filtration and brewing process throughout its flagship brewery in Chico [CA].”

 

• Through a variety of mitigation techniques, the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company has managed to reduce its usage ratio from a whopping 12:1 to a much nicer 5.5:1, according to another article. They’ve seen an overall 60% reduction in their water usage since 2001.

 

• A 2009 Corporate Social Responsibility Report states that brewing giant Anheuser- Busch set a 2010 goal of achieving a 4:1 brewing ratio after being engaged in conservation activities since 2006 aimed at reducing overall water usage in a variety of different ways. (not just in its brewing ratio)

 

And on a more local and close to home level:

 

• Bridgeport Brewing has employed a variety of methods to reduce its overall water usage such as equipment retrofits, rinse water reclamation and procedural changes, which all added up to significant annual savings for the company… and Portland’s water supply!

 

Did you know that the Water Bureau has a program dedicated to helping local businesses work to reduce their water usage? For more on the BIG (Business Industry and Government) program click here.

 

Jennie Day-Burget

Public Information Officer

One of our favorite Facebook fans, Larry Lane, posted some awesome new photos of his 'My Tap Water Rocks' sticker in action -- this sticker travels more than I do! Gotta love the tap water pride!

 

At a Kurt Cobain memorial in ABERDEEN, WA:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At Ecola State Park:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Cougar, WA at the Mt. St. Helen's Climbers Registry:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks go out to Larry Lane for not only appreciating his tap water, but for taking the message with him!

 

 

Jennie Day-Burget

Public Information Officer

 

 

 

Borrowed from comic artist Steve Greenberg with the Ventura County Star, an interesting comic-strip on bottled water:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My co-worker, Irene Reskin, sent me this little tidbit earlier this week and I thought I'd share it with you all.

 

Irene has a 'Classic Dave Barry' daily calendar on her desk, Mr. Barry being one of her favorite humor writers.

 

The October 21st entry reads as follows:

 

“Here’s what the bottled-water companies do. They get some water, put it in bottles, give it a brand name, sell it to consumers, then smack themselves on their corporate foreheads and say, ‘We can’t BELIEVE we’re getting away with this! Do you think they’d buy air? How about dirt?’”

 

 

 

Food for thought?

 

Jennie Day-Burget

Public Information Officer

Several years ago, Water Bureau property management staff (myself included) took an assessment of the bureau’s surplus property that had accumulated in the 100 + years that Water Bureau has been running.

 

Many of the properties had unusable or leftover infrastructure on them, unsightly or run-down buildings or had, unfortunately, fallen into general disrepair in the past years. One by one, staff began the tedious task of taking a look at each, individual property and making a plan for each. Clean it up and find a use for it? Sell it? Convert it into something usable? There were many possibilities.

 

When one property in particular, located in East Portland’s Glendoveer neighborhood, came across our desks, we had a bit of a dilemma to deal with. On one hand, we knew we could sell the property and never look back. But there was risk involved in that – risk that a developer would snatch up the property and come into the neighborhood only to erect a structure that did not meet the needs of the neighborhood. As public servants, we didn’t think that was the right thing to do. And in searching for a solution, came the birth of the Water House project, which you might have read about today in the Willamette Week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Water House is a green demonstration house, intended to be a model home to the citizens of Portland. The Russell Neighborhood Association helped in the selection of the home’s exterior design and acted as a community voice in the planning process. The Water Bureau took feedback and input from association voices before proceeding with the finalization of any plans.

 

Currently, the Water Bureau is partnering with energy efficiency gurus like the Energy Trust of Oregon and Earth Advantage to develop this home in the most cost-efficient manner possible – we hope it won’t cost the bureau anything, in fact!

 

So far, more than twenty-five leading green building companies have contributed in-kind donations to the project, which is helping to keep the cost down.

 

Donations, including the kitchen sink:

 

• Full appliances and plumbing fixtures

• Wood flooring and tile countertops

• Cabinets and built-ins

• Water heaters, heat pumps and wall heaters

• Central vacuum, insulation, and lighting

• Pervious concrete and rock veneer

• Paint and siding

• Windows, doors and a garage door

• Roofing materials

• Plus, interior design and house layout

 

Contributions already total over $160k!!

 

Before we finally sell off this surplus property (home included!) some time in the future, we’ll build this home to demonstrate how green building can conserve water and boost the economy.

 

Thanks to our Water House Partners and Sponsors!

 

Tom Klutz

Property and Public Resource Manager

503-823-7503

E-mail

Wow. You all really love your tap water! Here are some more 'My Tap Water Rocks' photos and responses to Why... 'My Tap Water Rocks!' Keep 'em coming!

 

MY TAP WATER ROCKS BECAUSE...

 

"My tap water rocks because it tastes good, it’s healthy, and it’s good for the planet. Drinking water is more closely regulated for purity and safety than bottled water, and I can drink it without buying and disposing of tons of plastic that has been trucked around the country."

 

-Teresa Huntsinger | Program Director - Oregon Environmental Council

 

"My tap water rocks because it is fresh, available without a plastic bottle, and yummy for my tummy! I really would love to get one of those stickers if you still have one. I am very proud of our city's water and hope that strides can be made to keep the water the way it is."

 

-Matthew Spencer-Grice

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tap Water rockin' at Stonehenge!

Sent in via Facebook from Water Bureau Fan, Larry Lane

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Little Oliver of N. Portland rocks out with his Tap Water sticker!

 

 

Jennie Day-Burget

Loves Her Tap Water!

 

 

 

In the United States, the infrastructure that provides clean water to the public is an aging system that includes several million miles of pipes under our feet. According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, these pipes leak 6 billion gallons of water a day – enough to fill over 9,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools. In addition, these pipes experience 240,000 water main breaks a year, causing contamination and pollution, property damage, disruptions in the water supply, and massive traffic jams. We all remember early last year when a Portland Water Bureau truck responding to a water main break was swallowed by a sink hole created by water flooding beneath the street's surface.

 

These problems are not the result of local officials who fail to do their jobs. Local governments and ratepayers spend significant amounts on water and sewer infrastructure. Yet despite this investment of local resources, the American Society of Civil Engineers gives water and wastewater systems a D-, the lowest grade of any infrastructure category. Local governments clearly need assistance from the federal government if they are to meet these critical needs.

 

As Portland's former Commissioner of Public Works, I am well aware of the challenges that local officials face in maintaining and upgrading local water systems. As a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in the House for a decade, I have sat through many hearings highlighting the need to significantly increase federal investment in water.

 

While our nation's water infrastructure needs are estimated to be over $25 billion a year, funding from Congress for water and sewer infrastructure have averaged just over $2.3 billion a year since 2000. This puts pressure on local rates, which have gone up substantially in recent years. In Portland, drinking water rates have increased more than 20% in the past five years. Our sewer infrastructure is in a similar situation: at current funding levels, it would take Oregon more than 62 years to meet our wastewater needs.

 

Solving this problem means finding new, steady sources of funding to rebuild and renew America's outdated water and sewer infrastructure. That's why I introduced the Water Protection and Reinvestment Act. The Act will create a Water Trust Fund: a deficit-neutral, consistent and protected source of revenue to help states and local communities replace, repair, and rehabilitate critical drinking water and wastewater treatment facilities. The Trust Fund will be financed by very small user fees on water-based beverages, items disposed of in wastewater (such as shaving cream and shampoo), pharmaceuticals, and corporate income. These new revenue sources will raise approximately $10 billion a year. Most of the funding will be distributed as grants and loans through the existing EPA programs. Additional funding will be available through new programs to deal with research and development, green infrastructure, small water systems, combined sewer overflow, global warming, and other priorities.

 

The Water Protection and Reinvestment Act will:

 

• Protect public health by ensuring that communities can continue to provide safe drinking water and sewer service.

• Restore the environment by providing incentives for green infrastructure and helping water systems reduce their energy use and become more resilient to the impacts of global warming. The City of Portland has been a leader in pursuing green, non-structural solutions to water challenges, from green-roofs to wetlands restoration to protecting the Bull Run watershed.

• Create jobs by investing in projects to repair and replace aging systems. A $10 billion investment would create between 200,000 and 267,000 new jobs in engineering, construction and other industries.

• Reduce pollution by decreasing the amount of combined sewer overflows and reducing the presence of pharmaceuticals in surface waters

 

The Water Protection and Reinvestment Act is supported by a broad coalition of industry, environmental, and labor groups and has a growing list of bi-partisan co-sponsors in the House of Representatives. I will be working with my colleagues to raise the profile of this issue in Congress and push for action on the legislation before the 111th Congress is over.

 

For more information on the legislation, please visit my Web site at: www.blumenauer.house.gov/watertrustfund.