Safeguarding public health with filtration
In 2024, the Water Bureau began building a new filtration facility to help us comply with safe drinking water regulations and keep delivering great-tasting, high-quality water for our region. Earlier this month, we sat down with Dr. Richard Bruno, the Multnomah County Health Officer, to talk about why clean, safe drinking water matters for our health and how filtered Bull Run water will help our communities.
“Over the next 50 to 100 years,” said Dr. Bruno, “this filtration system is going to show how important safe drinking water is for public health—how much it helps prevent disease but also how it helps people thrive and stay healthy in their communities.”
Filtered Bull Run water in 2029
In January, the City requested an extension to the compliance schedule from the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to account for past delays and make sure we can complete the work safely and responsibly. In March, OHA let us know that they plan to revise the Bilateral Compliance Agreement with the extended deadline of September 30, 2029. The additional time will allow us to deliver this critical project without compromising construction safety or the integrity of the facility.
Strengthening accountability
The Water Bureau is strengthening oversight for the Bull Run Filtration Project through a comprehensive accountability framework and the upcoming recruitment of an independent financial oversight panel. Recruitment for this volunteer panel is expected to start this spring, with the panel’s work beginning this summer. We anticipate recruiting individuals with relevant experience in public works contracting, finance, construction management, legal, and public sector capital project delivery, including professionals from other public agencies and utilities.
In the meantime, the Project Delivery Advisory Team (PDAT) began meeting this winter and is already making progress, including recruitment of a Deputy Program Manager for Delivery with megaproject experience and engagement of a dedicated Commercial Contracts Manager. The PDAT’s second session focused on construction risk management, leading to next steps that include auditing the supply chain to lock in pricing for critical materials and establishing a new baseline schedule. These efforts aim to proactively manage contractor accountability for safety, quality, and budget as the project moves toward a strong finish and delivery of filtered water in 2029.
Check out the monthly project status webpage for more information about accountability, schedule, cost, and budget for the project.
 Filtration construction update
Construction is moving fast. More than 300 craft workers across about a dozen trades are on the job. We expect work to continue at a brisk pace as we head into the peak construction summer season.
At the filtration facility site, contractors have poured about 6,000 of the roughly 60,000 cubic yards of concrete needed to build the new treatment basins and other structures. These basins will connect through a network of underground pipes. Crews will begin installing new 108-inch and 72-inch pipes this spring.
Crews have also installed more than 9,000 feet of new water pipelines to connect the facility site to our existing system. East of the site, crews are working on tie-ins to our current water conduits. Workers have also dug about 200 feet of the first of two pipeline tunnels that will bring unfiltered water up the hill to the filtration facility. Northwest of the site, crews are making steady progress on the new pipes and an intertie facility that will help bring filtered water from the facility to our current water conduits.
To learn more about what’s happening at the construction sites, visit Portland.gov/filtrationconstruction.
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