Shortly after the era you describe the PWB intoduced new management that was corrupt and began experimental "we don't know what the effects will be" logging of the Bull Run. With "we don't care..we don't have to" attitudes much like we have today in Leonard and Shaff they brought the PWB to a new low in many ways. Only a law suit years later brought some common sense and changes.

The water bills we see today will be nothing compared to the future. Over a $ billion with debt service for the new unnecessary projects. The "engineer cost estimates" are always too low. Remember the TRAM at $15 million going to $57 million and counting? With Shaff's cozy relationship to the corporate engineer who got the construction bids.....look out for your wallet folks.

In the end there is no scientific or public health benefit to covering the reservois or adding Bull Run treatment with the commensurate toxic and carcinogenic chemicals. That was determined a long time ago (Bull Run Treatment Panel, Independent Review Panel) and even more so, holds true today. No doubt PWB will say we need to do this, but it is without merit or truth, and only to fill their pockets and keep the machine running.

Way back when the City of Portland worked.

There is a little City called Maywood Park on the East side surrounded by Portland that has monthly water bills of $15.00.

Reminder...

Memorial Drum Ceremony, Sunday August 1st 11:30 AM east side Steel bridge.

Our household, which ranges from 6-9 people, had a water/sewer bill of $275 this last cycle.

Anyone have one of the old "Save Bull Run" bumper stickers from the 70's?

For comparison's sake, proposed 4% annual water rate hikes in Austin TX are described as significant:
http://austin.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/2010/07/26/story2.html?b=1280116800%5E3685251

Rate hikes have been requested to cover more than $1B in capital improvements, debt service for which is set to increase 32% -- from $162M to about $219.5M --between 2010 and 2015.

"[T]he average residential bill in Austin is one of the highest in large Texas cities. The average bill in Austin, $67.35, is almost $20 more than in Dallas, Houston and San Antonio."

It is not clear whether $67.35 is just for water, not sewerage. Postings here by Trainwreck20 and Austin97 suggest that water and wastewater are separate charges, along with "drainage":
http://www.city-data.com/forum/austin/97257-cost-utilities.html

"Solid waste" seems to refer to garbage; $21 is cheap compared to Portland.

But the $10/mo for water for a 2300 sqft house seems incredibly low. Austin is, after all, in the heart of Texas, which is drier than Portland and lacks a Bull Run.

Is our prominent natural resource being mismanaged? Are our water bills another example of how the residents of Portland are expected to work for those hired to provide city services?

"Austin water officials expect to be thoroughly questioned by City Council members about the rate increase." I've never lived in Austin but perhaps there will be media coverage of any interrogation. I do live in Portland, where any expectation of scrutiny by City Council members has been futile: "Forget about it, Jake, it's Stumptown."

I see on the backside of the bill they have the notice of service cutoff after 10 days for nonpayment.

At least that part of it stayed the same.

I am happy to see that there are some in Portland who actually talk about accountability, no matter how futile. How would you guys like to live in Marion County? It seems as if a 34 million dollar building and transit mall can collapse around you and the PTB call a press conference in the very building to admit to its possible collapse and the need to relocate over paid and well fed county workers for their safety. I do not think Fireman Randy could pull that off up there. At least you guys would mention it. It is unmentionable here. Like it did not happen.

Austin sits on something called the Edwards Aquifer. Tons of water here, rivers, huge and deep lakes.

It has a typically hot/dry summer but is incredibly green most of the rest of the time. The thunderstorms in spring and fall are incredible. Plenty of rain this summer, too...this happens every couple of years.

Don't you Portlanders fret though, I've noticed lots of the same PlannerSpeak in City documents, press releases, etc since I've been back.

Those same little weasels are burrowing into the local government like ticks and will be fleecing the citizenry "for the children" in no time. That's all you hear in some quarters here, how much of a wonderful success and economic powerhouse Portland is because of all that planning, and how much we need to emulate you poor fools.

For old times' sake, the Water Bureau ought to instruct people to make their checks payable to Homer Williams.

Portland ...economic powerhouse? Look at all the vacant storefronts, office space and housing around town.... with a new MAX to nowhere planned.

Looks more like Detroit west and getting more idiotic every day with our public officials in charge. They planned well.

ex-cabbie,
Am not surprised at all by your report on Austin and using Portland as a model.

Debt swamping on cities may very well be the game of the decade with corporations swirling around to swoop down to take the cities assets as they bankrupt.

Sorry to be so negative about this, but what are we to think when our city is on a drive to put us further in debt.

Today's Portland water bill also has sewer on it, and so you can't compare bottom lines. But breaking out the water part, you'll see that it's gotten more expensive -- and it's about to get much, much worse.

EPA origins go back to 1970.
Good intentions, however, we need to question what EPA in 2010 has become and why our city is laying down on this while NY has been much more proactive?

Article on EPA scientists complain about political pressure:
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2008/04/epa_scientists_complain_about.php
So hundreds of scientists have been politically interfered with.

EPA declines to intervene in polluted water systems.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/13/us/13water.html

The EPA LT2 rule is a one size rule fits all now and our Bull Run Water is in a federally protected watershed and does not have the cyrptosporidium problem that caused this rule to come about.

Many of the citizens educated in this matter see that this was based on politics not science. Who lobbied for this rule and then will benefit?

At a July 2009 City Council hearing citizens and organizations asked our council to request a delay in order to give congress time to work on a legislative waiver from this EPA LT2 rule. Our Council would not delay, and voted to move forward instead with expensive projects!

Now our community will be over a billion dollars in debt for a health problem that does not exist unless we insist on getting a waiver from this rule. Senator Merkley is working on this matter and needs the time to do so.

It looks like Leonard and Council are using this EPA LT2 rule as an excuse to continually hand out contracts that are debt swamping our community and will cause those water bills to double. Again complete hypocrisy of this “sustainable talk” by Adams, while through the back door ruining the very sustainable Bull Run Water System which includes the reservoirs unless this community stands up to insist this be stopped.

Clinamen, here is an interesting document from about 4 years ago:

http://www.austin-chamber.org/TheChamber/AboutTheChamber/Portland06_Intercity/portland06.html

To be fair, they let CPI speak to them for 10 minutes or something, in between presentations from Fred Hansen and Portland Streetcar, Inc.

Check out the list of sponsors, though, including....drum roll...Williams & Dame. In the end, it always boils down to follow the money.

I suggest that a screening of Chinatown (it was about water baby) is order for the followers of this board.... now which of the evil characters does the Fireman fit?

ex-cabbie, could you provide a breakdown of an Austin water bill?
And a comparison with what you paid in Portland? Does Austin employ the same unit of water use (CCF = 100 cuft = 748gal)? BTW, what is "drainage?" Thank you.

Remember at least part of the (elevated) cost of our sewer rates lies in the incorporation of the former East County (EC) into Portland. Balking at the prospect of $30k or so per lot at the time the typical lot was worth $60k, EC residents ended up being annexed by Portland or Gresham in exchange for the respective Cities picking up the cost of building the sewer trunk lines, leaving individual connection the responsibility of the property owner. It truely was a deal with the devil, as EC has ended up with a lot of infill development and a much higher percentage of the Cities poor, where they are warehoused in neighborhood lacking parks, sidewalks, access to businesses,transit, etc.
Anyways, Portland residents as a whole ended up paying for that sewer project, required by the EPA,btw...
Of course there is Erics computer debacle, the big pipe, and a host of other efforts. Not to mention sewer rates becoming the slush fund..(oohh,truely a SLUSH fund, eh?) for other efforts.
One more thing: I don't know how to do it,but adjust that sewer bill from 1947 to todays dollars. How does it compare?

Portland Water Bureau Proposed Rate Increases:

FY 2011-12 - 19.0%
FY 2012-13 - 18.8%
FY 2013-14 - 19.0%

In addition to the above proposed water usage charge, the base charge will also be increased.

LucsAdvo:I suggest that a screening of Chinatown (it was about water baby) is order for the followers of this board.... now which of the evil characters does the Fireman fit?

Has been awhile since I have seen Chinatown, will need to see it again to see which evil character Fireman fits.

The character that is missing in our Portland version, as far as I know anyway, is the private investigator!

Joe - Is that a SLUSH fund or a FLUSH fund?

Remember at least part of the (elevated) cost of our sewer rates lies in the incorporation of the former East County (EC) into Portland. Balking at the prospect of $30k or so per lot at the time the typical lot was worth $60k, EC residents ended up being annexed by Portland or Gresham in exchange for the respective Cities picking up the cost of building the sewer trunk lines, leaving individual connection the responsibility of the property owner. It truely was a deal with the devil, as EC has ended up with a lot of infill development and a much higher percentage of the Cities poor, where they are warehoused in neighborhood lacking parks, sidewalks, access to businesses,transit, etc.
Anyways, Portland residents as a whole ended up paying for that sewer project, required by the EPA,btw...
Of course there is Erics computer debacle, the big pipe, and a host of other efforts. Not to mention sewer rates becoming the slush fund..(oohh,truely a SLUSH fund, eh?) for other efforts.
One more thing: I don't know how to do it,but adjust that sewer bill from 1947 to todays dollars. How does it compare?

I might add the only investigators I know of are citizens like Jack and many others who have stepped up to the plate.

The water bureau from what I hear is now making it more difficult to get access to information. Wonder what they are up to?

This is our drinking water and our increasing bills to pay. We should have transparency which of course is what they do not want now.