What Filtration Looks Like
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The Portland Water Bureau (PWB) is rapidly moving forward with their plan to build a water filtration facility on a 100 acre site of current productive farmland. This site, which is zoned agricultural, is not inline with the existing pipeline conduits. The additional pipelines are why the PWB had to come back with a $200 million cost increase in 2019.
Among the many downsides of the PWB's pursuit of a filtration plant is the destruction of farmland, increasing the use of chemicals, and the tremendous increases in costs. There will also be substantial CO2 and diesel emissions as a result of the prolonged construction phase. There will continue to be a steady state of emissions as trucks haul chemicals and waste to and from the facility. |
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While PWB emphasizes the filtration portion of the facility, they neglect to describe the huge quantities of chemicals needed to make it work and how a significant amount of the disinfection is actually achieved by the ozone and chlorine. |
This graphic from the PWB shows their "Filtration Facility Processes". We added the title at the top, "Ozone + Filtration", to emphasize that it's really a combination system and not just a filtration facility. We believe the PWB does not promote it as an ozone + filtration facility because they want to promote the filtration portion and not draw much attention to how ozone is doing much of the work and provides a full spectrum of benefits by itself. Seattle combined ozone with UV over 15 years ago for their treatment plant at a cost of only $150 million (and that's in 2020 dollars) and it processes more water!
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Now vs. With Site
Current Landscape
West View: Site includes 100 acres.
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Similar Filtration Sites
Filtration facility in Atlanta Georgia.
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Zoned agricultural and currently farmed with nursery stock.
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Helix Water Treatment Facility, San Diego
106 Million Gallons per Day |
