Environmental Impact of a Filtration Plant
Filtration Requires Additional Chemicals -
While there are no currently known illnesses or deaths in the Portland Metro region attributed to Cryptosporidium in the Bull Run Watershed drinking water, the proposed "filtration plant" will process your this water through at least 9 different chemicals.
Contrary to how it might sound, they won't be just running our water through filters, they will be mixing in an array of chemicals in the process! Documents provided by Portland Water Bureau shed light on the chemicals that are currently planned:
While there are no currently known illnesses or deaths in the Portland Metro region attributed to Cryptosporidium in the Bull Run Watershed drinking water, the proposed "filtration plant" will process your this water through at least 9 different chemicals.
Contrary to how it might sound, they won't be just running our water through filters, they will be mixing in an array of chemicals in the process! Documents provided by Portland Water Bureau shed light on the chemicals that are currently planned:
Waste Disposal with Hauler |
Chemical |
Maximum Quantity Stored |
Yes |
Sodium Bisulfite (a) |
6,250 gal. |
Yes |
16,000 gal. |
|
Yes |
Cationic Polymer (c) |
6,400 gal. |
No |
Soda Ash (d) |
13,676 CF |
No |
Salt |
120 tons |
Yes |
75,000 gal. |
|
Yes |
Nonionic Polymer |
600 gal. |
Yes |
Aluminum Sulfate (f) |
37,000 gal. |
Value |
12,500 gal. |
(a) Sodium Bisulfite: (On the Special Health Hazard List) Corrosive, Poisonous Gases are produced in fire.
(b) Liquid Ammonia Sulfate: Skin, eye and breathing irritant.
(c) Cationic Polymer: Highly toxic/hazardous to aquatic life.
(d) Soda Ash: Serious eye irritant
(e) Sodium Hypochlorite: (On the Special Health Hazard List) Short and long term aquatic hazard. High skin and inhalation irritant. Mixture hazards: Hydrogen Chloride Gas
(f) Aluminum Sulfate: (On the Special Health Hazard List) Corrosive, Poisonous Gases are produced in fire. May react with water to form Corrosive Sulfuric Acid.
(g) Polyaluminum Chloride: (On the Special Health Hazard List) Reactive and a dangerous explosive hazard. Corrosive and severe lung irritant.
(b) Liquid Ammonia Sulfate: Skin, eye and breathing irritant.
(c) Cationic Polymer: Highly toxic/hazardous to aquatic life.
(d) Soda Ash: Serious eye irritant
(e) Sodium Hypochlorite: (On the Special Health Hazard List) Short and long term aquatic hazard. High skin and inhalation irritant. Mixture hazards: Hydrogen Chloride Gas
(f) Aluminum Sulfate: (On the Special Health Hazard List) Corrosive, Poisonous Gases are produced in fire. May react with water to form Corrosive Sulfuric Acid.
(g) Polyaluminum Chloride: (On the Special Health Hazard List) Reactive and a dangerous explosive hazard. Corrosive and severe lung irritant.
Based on documents from the PWB, typical granular media water treatment plants of this size and type can be expected to use over 16,000,000 pounds of chemicals, generate thousands of cubic yards of waste and result in unnecessarily adding CO2 and diesel emissions into our atmosphere.
For a 160 mgd [million gallons per day] facility, 8,200 dry tons of chemicals will typically be used per year. (HDR Technical Memorandum, 9/11/18, Sec. 6.13) Assuming 10 tons per truckload, that equates to about 3.3 truckloads per day.
For a 160 mgd [million gallons per day] facility, 8,200 dry tons of chemicals will typically be used per year. (HDR Technical Memorandum, 9/11/18, Sec. 6.13) Assuming 10 tons per truckload, that equates to about 3.3 truckloads per day.
Filtering the water with chemicals - will it have adverse effects on users health?
With the proliferation of chemicals in our air, land and food, long term studies have not been made on the ACCUMULATIVE effect of chemicals on the human body. No one knows exactly how much our bodies can tolerate of these chemicals, particularly those users that may already be health compromised.
Contrary to the statements of the Portland Water Bureau, we believe more is not always better.
With the proliferation of chemicals in our air, land and food, long term studies have not been made on the ACCUMULATIVE effect of chemicals on the human body. No one knows exactly how much our bodies can tolerate of these chemicals, particularly those users that may already be health compromised.
Contrary to the statements of the Portland Water Bureau, we believe more is not always better.
