A little well water with your Bull Run
The City of Portland started mixing groundwater from out past the airport Costco in with water from the Bull Run reservoir yesterday. It says it will be doing so for the next 10 days or so, as part of required maintenance of the city's well system.
Some folks say they can taste the difference when the city switches on the wells. We can't honestly say that we can.
| Posted at 10:42 AM | Permalink |
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Comments (9)
Some folks say they can taste the difference when the city switches on the wells. We can't honestly say that we can.
Does anyone know if the groundwater we drink is evenly divided throughout the city, or do some parts of the city get more groundwater than others?
Posted by clinamen | August 10, 2010 11:36 AM
Clinamen,
The groundwater that is pumped up from the wells is transported up to the reservoir at Powell Butte, where it is blended with Bull Run water and distributed throughout the system. Since it's a blend, we're all getting the same mix of groundwater/Bull Run.
-Sarah
Posted by Sarah Bott | August 10, 2010 11:56 AM
Sarah,
Thank you for the information.
Has the city made a PR concerted effort to inform our community not to flush pharmaceuticals into our waterways?
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/aug2008/2008-08-06-095.html
Getting back to our well water, I recognize that the percentage of pharmaceuticals in our well water is low compared to some cities and our situation may be different. I do wonder though how even these small amounts of pharmaceuticals get into that well water. Is there a leakage into groundwater there? Is it coming from our waterways into that well?
Posted by clinamen | August 10, 2010 12:17 PM
I can definitely taste and smell the difference. Sulpher smell and biter taste in the Rose City Park neighborhood. My guess is they don't mix it with the west-side water. Only the best for them, am I right Mr Shaff?
Posted by Bad Brad | August 10, 2010 1:47 PM
The kids love the groundwater added this time of year. They are amazed at the glow from the radioactive contaminants.
Posted by janis | August 10, 2010 2:38 PM
Clinamen, there's more info on the subject on our website here:
http://www.portlandonline.com/water/index.cfm?c=47676
Posted by Sarah Bott | August 10, 2010 3:56 PM
Sarah,
I appreciate the link.
My questions were about the local matter and the answers were not available on that site.
1. What has the water bureau done, and as much as they can in our community, in keeping pharmaceuticals out of our waterways?
2. How do pharmaceuticals get into our local wells?
a. Is it through a leakage into the wells?
b. Is it from our waterways into the wells, if so, which waterway, the Columbia?
Posted by clinamen | August 10, 2010 5:17 PM
Clinamen, some of the answers regarding this topic would probably exceed Jack's word count on comments - but if you'd like to learn more (and that goes for anyone), contact me and I'll put you in touch with one of our water quality scientists who can talk about this subject in the detail you would like - and with accuracy I cannot.
sarah.bott@portlandoregon.gov
(503) 313-7267
The short answer is that the pharmaceuticals in question have not been detected in sufficient quantity (parts per million) to cause concern by Water Bureau officials, and what has been detected is not regulated by the EPA. That's not to say it doesn't concern you or others, and we're glad to go over the testing procedures, etc. (That is, I can put you in touch with people who can explain it.)
Sarah
Posted by Sarah Bott | August 10, 2010 7:01 PM
Hi Sarah B. - Why are we worried about covering reservoirs for non-existent micro-organisms that pretty much don't exist but glossing over pharmaceuticals that actually are being measured?
Posted by LucsAdvo | August 11, 2010 5:58 AM