They just have granted ODFW transfers of point of diversion for their existing water right so far. Nothing has been transferred out of state hands yet. Still a few hoops to jump through before the spring goes Swiss.

The train is obviously on the track.

What will eventually happen is that some corporation will get Bull Run, and Portlanders will wind up drinking Columbia well water mixed with the Willamette.

Do we know for a fact whether or not we are still drinking Bull Run water?

Shortsighted fed and local governments are putting everything up for sale -- everything that used to be considered a community resource -- because we have to pay, somehow, for their various follies and overextended spending.

And we're unlikely to be able to get any of it back, once they let it go, whether it be water or airwaves.

You're right Jack, the corporations will get the Bull Run unless they are stopped. They can be stopped. With the right person in charge who knows the history, solutions, and has the fortitude, it can be accomplished. After having led the opposition to the Bull Run corporate water takeover for over a decade, this is one of many reasons I'm a candidate for mayor. This is not a campaign ad, but the community needs to know it is a real threat to public health and ratepayers.

There are examples of citizens remorse after corporate water takeovers. "...in Indianapolis, New Orleans, Atlanta and other cities, privatization has been accompanied by corruption scandals, environmental violations and a torrent of customer complaints." LA Times. There is little citizen input after the change of management takes place. Water rate costs and oversight are unaccountable and ultimately uncontrolled.

Give them a break, PWB needs to make some more money so they can continue to pay Lesley Stahl enough to narrate their puff pieces:

http://www.portlandonline.com/bes/index.cfm?c=29323&a=375594

And don't forget Ty's $30,000/year raise to work for Randy's hey-boy at PWB.

you guys should be happy. nestle will develop a sustainable, reusable and replenishable product. they are doing it locally, creating jobs and helping to grow the local economy. a win win for everyone!

how can you complain? most of the readers here have voted for these clowns. look what they have done to you. 1st they let the unions takeover and take a lot of your salary and then they finished by sucker punching you with their pers deal. When will you learn???

I don't think anyone in town is happy except those who benefit from the agenda.

Why aren't the Occupiers raising heck about *this*? Where are the state representatives? Yoo hoo! Jackie Dingfelder! Jeffer-Sam Smith! Chip Shields!

Good question!! I have been writing about this for months here, the silence from the elected officials and most candidates is simply in no way acceptable. It just looks like across the board, there has been a shut down on the subject.

The matter is so serious and really quite disturbing when it looks like our council and others don’t seem to care if our community would lose our good water and water rights. Don’t they drink the water too? ...or do they think they can pay their way out of it by what – buying Nestle’s water?

Are the ones you mentioned above like Jackie Dingfelder, Jeffer-Sam Smith, and Chip Shields more concerned about their political career? In my opinion, there is a selfish aspect here and with the city council, either no conscience, inept or corrupt, or they would have done more, rather than line up behind Leonard and lay down when they could have been a champion for our water, like NY has done.

Those who have been water watchdogs know how serious this is, please help to elect Scott Fernandez for Mayor, a candidate on the people's side.

http://scottfernandezformayor.com/index.html

The organization BARK is very involved in protecting Mt Hood NF from this type of commercialization. www.bark-out.org Good group, usually gets a few bucks from me just because they're fighting this issue. Plastic water bottles make me crazy (there's a place and time, but we over-do disposable).

And, of course, I didn't click the links in the update. Brilliant.

The screwiest part is if Nestle is able to get their name onto the water right especially a surface water right. Although, Earth2O has fairly large surface water rights in Central Oregon, for bottled water, is their plight not similar?

.........The kicker then....is that Nestle can hold onto the water right INDEFINITELY and transfer it to a groundwater right or water-bank the right on a credit system as well, because of the prior appropriation stature. [Read: without the state's approval, when water is a public right.] So, if the state of Oregon has it's name on it, the public May get a say, and the if Nestle's name is on it, forget about it!

Depending on the wheel's greased it could take 5 years or more, to secure that prior appropriation surface water right, in that basin................... Or maybe, behind the scenes it is able to happen rather quickly and without the public's knowledge, which I personally opine is Bad.

Are corporation's people?

Where Hermann Creek joins the N'chi Wana, big river, is a sturgeon nursery. I seriously doubt Nestle would have concerns for this population in their portfolios.

"In view of the fact that every day more children die from drinking dirty water than AIDS, war, traffic accidents and malaria put together, Maude Barlow, a former UN chief advisor for water issues, states: “When a company like Nestlé comes along and says, Pure Life is the answer, we’re selling you your own ground water while nothing comes out of your faucets anymore or if it does it’s undrinkable – that’s more than irresponsible, that’s practically a criminal act.”

http://www.worldcrunch.com/poisoning-well-nestl-accused-exploiting-water-supplies-bottled-brands/4503

Thank you for the link sheila.

Then there are the communities in the U.S. state of Maine who are fighting Nestlé because it pumps ground water and spring water in huge quantities – which it can do legally: whoever owns land can pump as much water as they like.

Nestlé pumps several million cubic meters annually and transports the water in tanker trucks to bottling plants. “They’re using our water to make profits, a litre doesn’t even cost them a cent,” one woman complains. “They’re selling the water we use to flush toilets and wash our hands as expensive spring water,” says another. But since Nestlé brings the communities tax dollars, officials welcome the company, which is supported by an armada of lawyers and PR people.
I think we need to do some serious in depth looking at who is making these decisions
that would allow this corporation to come into our state for our water?

...and yes Jack, where are those elected officials who are supposed to be stewards of our resources?

I find it puzzling that if this water exchange/transfer is so beneficial, then why does Nestle even have to be involved in the mix? Why can't Cascade Locks, and our state agency work something out? If this is based again only on money trumps everything else, then Portland needs to stop these pet projects that drain dollars that might be best used elsewhere.

I find it difficult to believe that fish would do better with city well water than spring water, but then that is something I have no expertise in, however, I think that the fish throughout the ages have done far better on their own without man interfering.

(Corrected - paragraph below - I think we need to do some serious in depth looking at who is making these decisions that would allow this corporation to come into our state for our water? - should not have been in italics with linked article in above post)

Thank you for the link sheila.

Then there are the communities in the U.S. state of Maine who are fighting Nestlé because it pumps ground water and spring water in huge quantities – which it can do legally: whoever owns land can pump as much water as they like.

Nestlé pumps several million cubic meters annually and transports the water in tanker trucks to bottling plants. “They’re using our water to make profits, a litre doesn’t even cost them a cent,” one woman complains. “They’re selling the water we use to flush toilets and wash our hands as expensive spring water,” says another. But since Nestlé brings the communities tax dollars, officials welcome the company, which is supported by an armada of lawyers and PR people.

I think we need to do some serious in depth looking at who is making these decisions
that would allow this corporation to come into our state for our water?

...and yes Jack, where are those elected officials who are supposed to be stewards of our resources?

I find it puzzling that if this water exchange/transfer is so beneficial, then why does Nestle even have to be involved in the mix? Why can't Cascade Locks, and our state agency work something out? If this is based again only on money trumps everything else, then Portland needs to stop these pet projects that drain dollars that might be best used elsewhere.

I find it difficult to believe that fish would do better with city well water than spring water, but then that is something I have no expertise in, however, I think that the fish throughout the ages have done far better on their own without man interfering.