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Strengthening our investment in safe, reliable water
The City of Portland has reached an important milestone on the Bull Run Filtration Project. On February 11, 2026, the state Land Use Board of Appeals issued its Final Opinion and Order affirming Multnomah County’s reapproval of the project’s land use permits. This decision clears the way to continue moving forward with construction.
The City has requested an extension to the compliance schedule from the Oregon Health Authority. The extension would address past delays and make sure we can complete the work safely and responsibly.
To cross the finish line and deliver a high-quality system that protects public health for generations, the City has also refined our long-term financial plans and updated project cost estimates. The updated estimate is $2.56 billion, reflecting added requirements and the impacts of land use delays.
Together, these steps reinforce Portland’s long‑term commitment to providing safe, clean, and reliable drinking water and to protecting this essential resource for our community.
 Filtration construction update
More than 300 skilled construction workers are currently helping build this essential project. Pour by pour and pipe by pipe, the new facilities are taking shape. At the facility site, we’ve placed more than 5,000 cubic yards of concrete and installed 2,000 feet of new pipe.
In the coming weeks, crews will get ready for the biggest of the new pipes—these sections are 9 feet in diameter! This pipe will serve as an underground connection between the facility site’s “inlet” structure and the first basin in the treatment process.
February marked another big step forward for the new pipelines. Crews completed the tunneled pipeline that connects to the facility’s underground storage for filtered water. Using a microtunneling machine, workers installed the pipe under Carpenter Lane and successfully “broke through” at the facility site. That’s one tunnel done!
Northwest of the facility, crews continue to work on new pipes that will carry filtered water to our existing water system. About 1,200 feet of this pipe has been installed so far. These seismically resilient pipes will also replace older parts of the current water conduit system.
To learn more about what’s happening at the construction sites, visit Portland.gov/filtrationconstruction.
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee project update
Earlier today, the Water Bureau joined the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to give an update on the project’s status, schedule, and budget. The project team will continue to update City Council throughout 2026, which is a pivotal year for project construction.
Watch the presentation to the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
Project Delivery Advisory Team update
Earlier this month, the Project Delivery Advisory Team (PDAT) joined the Portland Utility Board (PUB) to share findings and early recommendations from their Bull Run Filtration Assessment Report.
Identified opportunities include:
- Strengthening on-site leadership and focusing on construction project delivery
- Implementing robust controls to drive project delivery
- Leveraging program management systems to improve performance
Watch the presentation to the PUB
Who is the PDAT?
The PDAT pairs PUB members with national infrastructure construction management experts. The PDAT is supporting project leadership with recommendations to help reduce future risks to the project construction cost and schedule.
The PDAT will continue to share findings with PUB and City Council during planned meetings throughout 2026.
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