"When questioned about scientific data and the small amount of urine in such a large reservoir, he interjected: "Answer the question. It has nothing to do with scientifically...Most people...are gonna be pretty damn squeamish about that.

Watch carefully as Shafft and Leonard carefully propagandize the message. The Water Bureau has been part of the most concerted effort to disinform the public about such a basic service that I've ever seen. They carefully (and often angrily) try and manage their messaging about it.

Strangely, they seem clueless that most city residents see right through the crap for what it is. Even my gentle grandmother, a many-decades resident, thinks of Leonard and the Water Bureau as clowns with an agenda.

Leonard and Shaff, the public knows what's up.

Please. Dumping 7.8 million gallons over a cup of urine? Let's us ignore that, unless Hipster Von Beardo had a urinary infection, that said urine would be sterile. Unless Sam and Randy are homeopathic evangelists, they should know that the open reservoir would get much more in the way of dust, bird crap, fish crap, frog crap, and cosmic dust than anything that this dweeb could add. (In fact, the basic mnemonic taught to doctors and vets concerning this sort of contamination is "dilution is the solution to pollution.")

Now, if you really wanted to have fun with Randy, point out to him that, at one time, the water in his Coke used to be dinosaur urine. Elvis only knows what sort of stupid program he'd start to make sure that his reservoirs were dino-pee-free.

This is what happens when you don't arm the folks who tend the reservoir.

It shows that Congress isn't the only body with members going off in the wrong direction.

Of course, you can read more about this incident on Wikileaks.

Urine trouble now.

No surprise these two morons created another "incident". Shaff has a time table to meet for his engineer buddy/friend holding the covered tank construction contracts. More risk of illness from a shopping cart handle. Shaff and Leonard have as much credibility as New York Congressman Anthony Weiner. Go Tweet yourself.

They pull dead owls, raccoons, opossums, crows, and assorted other corpses out on a regular basis - and they don't dump the water. And they have cameras galore up there, so the perp's on disc. If it's a $35,000 bill to dump, clean, and refill, why isn't he charged?

Reminds me of the old one about the pig who goes into a bar, slams down beer after beer, then heads for the door. The bartender asks if he doesn't want to use the restroom before he leaves, and after cutting loose with a big belch, the pig says:

Nope. I'm the one who goes wee-wee-wee all the way home.

Max- where is the evidence those things actually came from the reservoir and were not staged? These dishonest clowns stoop to anything to get what they want. A water -logged toupee held up as a squirrel doesn't really mean much...except a meaningless photo-op.

Shaff might be dumber than Leonard. Someone get him on the ballot!

Jack didn't link to the other story (but it's on the right side) about heavy rains causing raw sewage to overflow into the rivers. Do we need to drain those too?

What idiots.

They could have dumped 5 gallons of clorine in the area of the peeing and been done with it.

Or completely ignoring the whole matter would have preferable as well.

Schaff, on OPB (who have been beating their listeners over the head with this all afternoon): I have billions of gallons of water behind this; I can afford to dump the contents of this reservoir. This guy, in addition to having poor judgment, is apparently a(nother) tone-deaf egomaniac.

Why no names, why no arrest when it is against the law to throw anything in the reservoirs?
A new legal opinion from the Water Users Coalition supports as we have known all along that a variance is available for the open reservoirs. Thus the Water Bureau's plans to force $400 million in unwanted unnecessary reservoir burial projects has been threatened so a report such as this was in order.

On May 18 100 folks attended the rate hearing in support of retaining Portland's open reservoirs. 45 folks testified in support including many businesses, environmental groups, neighborhood associations and others,

On City Council agenda TODAY: Accept report on a $23 million contract with Slayden Construction Group, Inc. for construction of the Mt.Tabor and Washington Park Security and Deferred Maintenance Project as COMPLETE- authorizing final payment (Report; Contract No. 37524)

http://www.portlandonline.com/auditor/index.cfm?c=50265&a=352461

On August 21,2007 (one year after the corporate-benefiting EPA LT2 rule was finalized) the PWB brought forth a contract with Slayden Construction Group, Inc. for construction services (Contract No. 37524). The purpose of the project was to construct security,and deferred maintenance improvements, which enabled the PWB to better secure the open reservoirs with cameras and electronic security devices and permit the isolation of the reservoirs with remotely controllable valves and bypass piping and other maintenance items. As part of this
work, PWB installed fence and gate improvements, vehicle access controls, remote control actuators on existing isolation valves, new isolation valves with remote controlled actuators, a
pressure reducing valve (PRV), and Gatehouse No. 5 interior remodleling for on-site security staff. Security improvements included security alarm upgrades, additional cameras and
communications equipment, improvements for remote monitoring, on-site recording, vegetation control around reservoir perimeters, signs encouraging visitors to use paths away from reservoir's, and improvements to secure buildings.

This contract was one of several contracts since 2003 related to completing upgrades designed to keep the reservoirs safely operating until 2050.
Ratepayers will pay for the approx. $45 million in upgrades over the next 25 years.
For more information visit: http://www.friendsofreservoirs.org/

David Shaff, administrator for the Water Bureau, said about 7.8 million gallons of drinking water will be discarded because of the incident. He originally said that will cost the bureau about $600,000 in lost revenue but later clarified that his math was very wrong, and that the water would have sold for a retail price of almost $28,500, and disposal fees are expected at about $7,600.

$600,000, $28,500, what difference does it all make, not their money, they toss these figures around as if in Vegas.

Can we trust these people about anything they say? Where else might there be some “very wrong math" causing our rates to skyrocket?

At this point, I would say not only “very wrong math” but “very wrong headed people” in charge, as our rates go up and up for what?
The big question is for whom?

http://www.friendsofreservoirs.org/news.html
Please note that the cost for the Powell Butte II, 50 million gallon project is extremely high (at $137 million) when compared to Seattle's comparable Maple Leaf 60 million gallon project (at $57 million). [14] Citizens would like to know why there is such a huge discrepancy in cost for similarly sized projects. Click here for the Seattle Times article referencing ratepayer and total costs.

Watch Randy sneak in and throw a Baby Ruth in the reservoir next.

C'mon, don't people drink their urine in India?

On a more practical note - why aren't there plexiglass walls constructed along the existing iron fences? At least that way it wouldn't distract too much from the fences, would maintain public access, and someone would REALLY have to try to pee over the fence.

Okay, Erik, that's a good one. Considering the cost of a plexiglass wall, I'm amazed Sam himself hasn't called you to offer you a job.

Scores of women have ingested substances refined from horse urine for decades now. If an official Pharma outfit removes things from urine and then charges you hundreds of dollars for it, that's so legitimate. I do hope Portlanders wake up in time to stop these spendaholics. When local labor and management stand up together to protest a hold-up from outside contractors, you know Matt Taibbi should be out here looking into things. Rolling Stone has the kind of advertisers who let the truth be told by Matt.

I believe Matt Taibbi would have quite a story looking into things out here. Don't think the Web of Power would like it, but the citizens who are getting fleeced sure would.