 LUBA Appeal Update
The City of Portland is building a water filtration facility and pipelines to protect public health and comply with federal Safe Drinking Water Act regulations. The Water Bureau began construction of the new facilities in summer 2024 after the projects received land use permit approvals from both Multnomah County and Clackamas County. The permit approvals followed extensive public processes that included public hearings and multiple opportunities for comment.
In January, the state Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA) issued its decision on an appeal of Multnomah County’s permit approval for the projects. LUBA upheld several County permit approvals for the projects. The decision also affirmed the County’s analysis of all approval criteria for the conditional use permit except one item related to the definition of “natural resources” in County code. This means that the natural resources permit approval criteria has been sent back to the County for further “remand” proceedings.
The Water Bureau has paused construction on the project until the County’s remand process is complete. We look forward to resuming work on this critical infrastructure. We remain committed to meeting our regulatory obligation and stewarding this generational investment in public health and system resilience.
“Construction of the Filtration Facility is the right thing to do to protect public health. The City purchased this property almost 50 years ago with this type of facility in mind, and we have remained true and transparent in that intent. We will continue to participate faithfully in the land use process and look forward to addressing the issues on remand so we can get back to building this critical project as efficiently and cost effectively as possible.” - Mayor Keith Wilson
Construction update
We are making sure project improvements are paused in a way that protects public safety, including maintaining erosion controls and other applicable permit conditions. Our team is also preparing for a smooth restart of work following the remand process.
Since beginning construction in summer 2024, our contractors have:
-
Completed mass excavation at the facility site
-
Started piping and concrete work for future treatment basins
-
Started excavation of the raw water tunnel/pipelines
-
Started excavation of the new finished water pipeline connection
-
Completed “fix-it-first” road surface improvements to construction routes
|
 Protecting our water supply
Bull Run Filtration is part of Portland’s long history of proactive planning to make sure clean, safe water is flowing every time you turn on your faucet. In 2017, Portland City Council unanimously decided to build filtration treatment to address significant vulnerabilities and long-term threats to the City’s water system, including potential impacts of wildfires, landslides, and severe storms.
The Bull Run Watershed is a well-protected, old-growth forest that supplies most of Portland’s drinking water. But in 2023 a wildfire broke out in the watershed, burning 2,055 acres.
Earlier this month, KPTV Fox 12 Oregon talked to Water Quality Engineer Mac Gifford about how the new Bull Run Filtration Project will help protect Portland’s water supply from the increasing risks of wildfires in our watershed.
|
