I wonder where the armed guards will find work, or will they just keep standing guard over the pumps when turned off to make sure they remain safe for us to use at some future date

The COP built those well fields without a thorough examination of the ground water contamination coming from above those fields. They later found some pretty toxic stuff which resulted in only being able to pump for limited periods before the aquifer gets contaminated. The other brilliant consequence of this was to mandate the East Multnomah County sewer project which subjected thousands of home owners and businesses to pay an average of $16,000 to hook up. There was no need for this project as all of east county was on city water so well contamination was not an issue. Now all those folks are stuck paying those feloniously high sewer bills. Even the most incompetent governor ever, Roberts was behind this deal and believed it was great because it created jobs.

Bull? Run!

We can always tell when the well water is turned on. Since we wash dishes by hand it is easy to tell because the soap does not get very sudsy (is that a word?) and it does definitely taste different. It is kind of a flat taste.

Hi all,

Actually we did send out notifications about groundwater being turned on (news releases and posts on the Water Bureau website and blog, Facebook page, etc.) We do our best to notify the public of these things, but that doesn't guarantee that people notice or particularly care.

However - since we've got your attention about groundwater... there is a workshop coming up on this very subject:

Groundwater 101 Workshop

When: Saturday, Nov 14, 8:45am to 1:30pm
Where: The Lake House at Blue Lake Park, 20500 NE Marine Dr, Fairview OR

Interested in learning where Portland's drinking water comes from? Join experts from the Portland Water Bureau for a free workshop all about the Columbia South Shore Well Field, Portland's secondary groundwater supply.

Visit a well, test water quality, and learn about local hydrogeology that influences the Groundwater Protection Program. Co-sponsored by the Portland Water Bureau and the Columbia Slough Watershed Council: sign up at www.columbiaslough.org or by calling 503-281-1132.

praise geezus!!!! I can always taste the difference and I hate it. o happy day!!

Sadie, you drink sudsy water?

I did know when they turned it on, but then, I am keeping some track of the Bull Run activist activities. I didn't notice any taste change.

I also thought that the city recharges the wells during high water from "the Run".

$100,000 PRIZE money! To you?

Great Idea contest. $50/$100 entry fee -- entry Deadline Oct. 30.

Challenge.bfi.ORG/enter/2010
This is a program of The Buckminster Fuller Institute
181 N11th St, Suite 402 | Brooklyn, NY 11211 | 718 290 9283
challenge (at) bfi (dot) org

HOW TO ENTER THE BUCKMINSTER FULLER CHALLENGE:

Step 1: Create a user account on this website

Step 2: Read and consent to the Terms and Conditions Agreement

Step 3: Submit the non-refundable processing fee

Step 4: Complete and submit your application

“If success or failure of the planet and of human beings depended on how I am and what I do… How would I be? What would I do?” - Buckminster Fuller

Each year a distinguished jury awards a $100,000 prize to support the development and implementation of a strategy that has significant potential to solve humanity’s most pressing problems. Entries are now being accepted and the deadline is midnight, Eastern Time on October 30, 2009.

2009 Winner
(included in the presentation by MIT's Smart City Group)

--------------------------

So, me, T., I got to thinking about 'the implementation of a strategy that has significant potential to solve humanity's most pressing problems', y'know, like Bucky's geodesic dome (for which he got second place in a 1940s Army contest to design portable troop housing, the winner was the quonset hut), and get me $100,000 and y'know what? I came up with something!, a big idea!.

A trailer with all the different alternative energy equipments on it.
Park it in the driveway,
unfold the solar photocell panels, like flower petals, (Bucky always said 'copy Nature')
assemble and telescope-up the wind generator gantry
gas up the conventional (internal combustion) electric generator
start loading compost in the heat-exchanger coiled pipes
walk out the tethered in-stream microhydro generator
plug your residence/business/construction-site sign board into the trailer's power-supply panel sockets, kick back and relax. Turn on your TV or something.

Alternative electricity generation on-site without minding pesky building codes because it's portable, not Permanent Structure.
If storm-wind weather is forecast, go fold it all back up in its trailer until the storm blows over.

Yeah, I be going for that $100,000

Then I stumbled onto this:

www.MobilePowerIntl.COM/
Mobile Power International -- Providing Power and Water for Life

Durable, versatile and mobile. MPI’s products can provide power virtually anywhere the sun shines and can purify and pump water form virtually any source.

Water purification has never been simpler with MPI's solar powered water purification systems. These advanced machines can provide potable water from surface water sources such as lakes and rivers as well as deep wells. MPI solar water purification systems are custom tailored to your exact feed water specifications and utilize standard filtration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, as well as sophisticated reverse-osmosis ("RO") systems to treat brackish and pure seawater. All MPI systems are completely turn-key packages and can deliver up to 30,000 gallons per day, while the RO process can convert as much as 6000 gallons of brackish water or 2000 gallons of sea water each day.

For, y'know, like if you need occasional water purification or (pump)power generation, you simply roll out the trailer to the site ... or 100 trailers ... several scaled-up sizes available ... Sarah? ... Sarah? ... Sarah Bott in the house? ...

LOL, Tenskwatawa - wow, where'd you find that?!

For those of us in parts of SW, it's easy to tell when they change water supplies. Our water is a distinct yellowish color and it a bit turgid.