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Editor's note: This is the first part of a three-part series. The next part will appear in the Oct. 19 edition of the DJC, and the final part will appear Nov. 16.

In the arid western United States, litigating to establish or protect surface and groundwater supplies is a cost of doing business for many private and public entities. Although such disputes generally occur less frequently in the Pacific Northwest, when they do they more often arise within the drier parts of the region such as the Klamath and Okanogan basins. Such a regional stereotype, however, is showing signs of potential change.

In the face of predicted population growth and climate change, officials west of the Cascades, including in the Portland-metro area, are paying greater attention to water resource planning.

Does this mean water rights litigation is coming to the metro area? Not necessarily. But it does mean our ability to avoid such disputes in the future will be determined by how we plan over the next 10 to 20 years to meet our water supply needs for the next 100.

Population in the metro area, now greater than 2 million, is expected to reach 3 million by 2030. Couple that growth with predicted climate change, and the metro area likely will see increasing constraints on water supply, and thus greater competition for the resource.

It is too early to tell, however, just how much future supply constraints will lead to potential water conflicts, especially when metro-area water providers have already shown some ability to work together to address future water needs.

Following is an overview of the metro area's "waterscape," the laws under which water is administered in Oregon, efforts to meet growing demand, and future considerations for meeting the area's longer-term water supply needs.
Who uses our water?
Today, the metro area is home to more than 550,000 households that individually use an average of 200 gallons of water per day, a rate below the national average but still totaling about 73,000 gallons annually per home. Commercial, industrial and institutional use is relatively low compared to nationwide statistics, but plenty of water is still required to fuel the region's economic engines.

The Portland Water Bureau alone provides commercial, industrial and institutional users about 8.7 billion gallons of water per year. This may seem like a lot until you consider that a single silicon wafer plant typically requires 2 million to 4 million gallons per day - enough to slake the thirst of a city of 40,000 to 50,000 people.

And while a particular business may not require a significant amount of water itself, its financial well-being often can be affected by suppliers and vendors who are significant water users. So, establishing a reliable long-term water supply is critical for growth of the metro-area economy.

Consider also that, while the metro area extends across much of the state's three most urban counties, they also account for nearly 20 percent of Oregon's overall farm production. Agricultural users often own their own water rights and may take water directly from surface and groundwater sources that are also relied upon by municipalities. The law readily allows for such competing uses by establishing an order of who is entitled to water when not all demands can be met simultaneously.
Who supplies our water?
The metro area receives most of its water for non-farming uses from municipalities and special water districts that maintain service areas that don't necessarily follow political boundaries and often overlap. As the area's single largest provider, the Portland Water Bureau serves more than 884,000 people - about one-quarter of the state's population.

Among the municipalities that receive all or a portion of their water from the Portland Water Bureau are the cities of Tigard, Gresham and Tualatin. Some of these municipalities are engaged in efforts to establish alternative water supplies to reduce their reliance on the Portland Water Bureau.

As the largest provider to Multnomah County, the Portland Water Bureau obtains most of its water from the Bull Run watershed, which it supplements with groundwater from wells near Portland International Airport.

Multnomah County users may also get water from the Rockwood Water Public Utility District, which serves approximately 53,000 people in Portland, Gresham and Fairview through the operation of two groundwater wells.

In addition to relying on both of these suppliers, Gresham also maintains its own well field as a backup source and, in partnership with Rockwood PUD, is developing an additional groundwater supply system.

In Washington County, the Joint Water Commission is the largest supplier, with more than 400,000 customers. JWC facilities are co-owned by Tualatin Valley Water District and the cities of Hillsboro, Forest Grove, Beaverton and Tigard.

JWC water comes from the Tualatin River, Trask River (Barney Reservoir) and Scoggins Creek (Scoggins Reservoir/Hagg Lake). TVWD also obtains water from the Portland Water Bureau. The Tualatin Valley Irrigation District also relies on some of the same surface water sources as the JWC to supply its agricultural water users.

The Clackamas River Water Providers, consisting of seven different municipalities and special districts, serve more than 300,000 Clackamas County customers. Each CRW member is autonomous, allowing for flexibility to coordinate efforts with both member and nonmember entities to meet their respective water needs.

For instance, in 2008, the city of Lake Oswego, a CRW member, entered into a joint agreement with the city of Tigard, a nonmember, to develop additional water supplies from the Clackamas River. The new system, expected to come online in 2016, is estimated to meet Tigard's projected demand through at least 2035.

These providers are all working to meet the metro area's growing demand for water. To begin to understand the complexity of the task, it helps to have overall knowledge of the laws that govern allocation of this critical resource. That will be discussed in the next column.
Peter Mohr is an attorney in the energy, and the environmental and natural resources practice groups at Tonkon Torp. Contact him at 503-802-5759 or at peter.mohr@tonkon.com.

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Where does Portland's water come from and where does it go?

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Editor's note: This is the first part of a three-part series. The next part will appear in the Oct. 19 edition of the DJC, and the final part will appear Nov. 16. In the arid western United States, litigating to establish or protect surface and groundwater supplies is a cost of doing business for many private and public entities.

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FILE - The Bull Run Watershed is the main water supply for the city of Portland. Undated photo. (Portland Tribune)

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) - The Portland Water Bureau on Monday said it would begin using 100% groundwater from its Columbia South Shore Well Field.

This move comes after low levels of the parasite cryptosporidium were detected in the Bull Run Watershed.

Officials said the switch to groundwater was not required and was instead done out of an "abundance of caution."

"The recent detections do not pose an increased health risk. After a series of very low level detections, we are proactively activating our secondary source while we collect more data," said Water Bureau Administrator Michael Stuhr. "The city continues to be in compliance with the treatment variance issued by the Oregon Health Authority."

The Columbia South Shore Well Field meets or surpasses all federal and state drinking water regulations, according to the Portland Water Bureau. It's often used as a secondary water source for the Bull Run Watershed in the summer when the area's water demand increases.

Officials will continue to sample the Bull Run Watershed for cryptosporidium, and after consulting with public health officials, will decide when to switch water supply back to it.

"Portland is fortunate to have access to the two largest supplies of drinking water in Oregon, which allow the bureau to be prepared to meet the range of conditions that occur in the Portland water system," the Portland Water Bureau said.

Anyone with questions can call the water line at 503.823.7525.

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Portland to switch water supply after parasite detected

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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) - The Portland Water Bureau on Monday said it would begin using 100% groundwater from its Columbia South Shore Well Field. This move comes after low levels of the parasite cryptosporidium were detected in the Bull Run Watershed.

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Portland metro area water providers have collaborated on water supply issues for the region since the early 1990's, and the Consortium has played an integral role in this effort since its inception in 1997.

By working together, water providers are able to develop a strategy for meeting the region's water needs now and into the future.

Regional Water Supply Plan

The Consortium Board adopted an 2004 update are still relevant. The Plan's implementation strategies and policy objectives remain unchanged. original RWSP and update of the Regional Water Supply Plan (RWSP) in October 2016. The update summarizes and identifies changes over the past 12 years to the major sections of the RWSP with the understanding that the

The 2004 RWSP update included a revised water demand forecast, update of source strategies, and the building of a new regional integration model.

The original RWSP was developed in 1996 by 27 of the region's municipal water providers and Metro over a three-year period. The RWSP provides a comprehensive, integrated framework of technical information, resource strategies, and implementation actions to meet the water supply needs of the greater Portland metropolitan area until 2050.

Regional Transmission and Storage Strategy

In July 2000, the Consortium adopted a Regional Transmission and Storage Strategy, which was intended to develop short- and long-term visions for regional transmission and storage, and to identify the institutional arrangements that can facilitate these visions. The Strategy uses the RWSP as its foundation and identifies ways that complement and integrate water supply improvements in the region.

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Portland metro area water providers have collaborated on water supply issues for the region since the early 1990's, and the Consortium has played an integral role in this effort since its inception in 1997. By working together, water providers are able to develop a strategy for meeting the region's water needs now and into the future.

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The Portland Water Bureau is the municipal water department for the city of Portland in the U.S. state of Oregon. The bureau manages a water supply that comes mainly from the Bull Run River in the foothills of the Cascade Range east of the city and secondarily from the Columbia South Shore Well Field near the Columbia River.

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FILE - The Bull Run Watershed is the main water supply for the city of Portland. Undated photo. (Portland Tribune)

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) - The Portland Water Bureau on Monday said it would begin using 100% groundwater from its Columbia South Shore Well Field.

This move comes after low levels of the parasite cryptosporidium were detected in the Bull Run Watershed.

Officials said the switch to groundwater was not required and was instead done out of an "abundance of caution."

"The recent detections do not pose an increased health risk. After a series of very low level detections, we are proactively activating our secondary source while we collect more data," said Water Bureau Administrator Michael Stuhr. "The city continues to be in compliance with the treatment variance issued by the Oregon Health Authority."

The Columbia South Shore Well Field meets or surpasses all federal and state drinking water regulations, according to the Portland Water Bureau. It's often used as a secondary water source for the Bull Run Watershed in the summer when the area's water demand increases.

Officials will continue to sample the Bull Run Watershed for cryptosporidium, and after consulting with public health officials, will decide when to switch water supply back to it.

"Portland is fortunate to have access to the two largest supplies of drinking water in Oregon, which allow the bureau to be prepared to meet the range of conditions that occur in the Portland water system," the Portland Water Bureau said.

Anyone with questions can call the water line at 503.823.7525.

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Portland to switch water supply after parasite detected

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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) - The Portland Water Bureau on Monday said it would begin using 100% groundwater from its Columbia South Shore Well Field. This move comes after low levels of the parasite cryptosporidium were detected in the Bull Run Watershed.

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Portland's Water System | The City of Portland, Oregon

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Official web site of the City of Portland Water Bureau

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http://www.opb.org/news/article/portland-drinking-water-bull-run-cryptosporidium/

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Cassandra Profita/OPB/EarthFix

Starting Monday, the Portland Water Bureau switched to its backup water source, groundwater from wells along the Columbia River.

The Water Bureau said it has stopped using Bull Run water out of an "abundance of caution" in response to repeated detection of a parasite known as cryptosporidium. It may take up to two weeks, depending on location, for groundwater to make its way through the distribution system to homes and businesses.

In the meantime, the Water Bureau says the Bull Run water remains safe to drink for healthy people, but that people with compromised immune systems should seek advice from their doctors. That includes people undergoing chemotherapy, people on immune suppressing drugs, infants and some elderly people.

The Portland Water Bureau serves more than 1 million people including customers in Portland and several of its suburbs. The city agency has received permission from state and federal regulators not to treat water from the Bull Run watershed for cryptosporidium. The water agency sometimes supplements or replaces Bull Run water for other reasons, such as during the summer dry season or when heavy rains cause high sediment levels in the Bull Run.

OPB asked Portland Water Bureau director Mike Stuhr to explain the decision to temporarily switch to groundwater. Here are the highlights:

What has caused this occurrence of cryptosporidium?

You know that old adage about bears in the woods? A common source for cryptosporidium is animal feces. Stuhr's theory: Heavy rainfall this winter has led to even more animal waste than usual being flushed into the Bull Run's two lakes.

"We have a highly protected watershed. It's arguably one of the most protected in the country. But there are a lot of wildlife up there," he said.

State regulators with the Oregon Health Authority did not require the city to make this switch.

"No, we made this on our own," Stuhr said. "We typically turn groundwater on and off for a variety of reasons throughout the year and for us this was a normal operational thing.

"You've been reporting for the last few weeks, this dribble of crypto oocysts that have been showing up. It's continued. We just decided at this point we wanted to study it a little bit more, and we have this wonderful secondary source that's ours to use," Stuhr said. "We thought it would be in the best interest of all if we switched to using the groundwater system. We're going to continue to monitor the water up in Bull Run lakes and study it some more."

How long will the switch to groundwater last?

The short version: City leaders don't know.

"We're going to continue to sample Bull Run for crypto. When we have enough additional information about the source and the cause of these detections, we'll talk again with OHA and the county, our public health partners, and we'll make a determination," Stuhr said.

City leaders say the water coming through your taps is safe.

"Absolutely," Stuhr said. "We're not required to do this. We're just a very cautious agency. We take great care and great pride in the water we serve. We want to make sure we're doing the best we can. ...

"Our health partners - OHA and the county health department - say that our water is perfectly safe to drink, and it's within limits."

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Portland Switches To Its Backup Water Supply: What You Should Know

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Cassandra Profita/OPB/EarthFix Starting Monday, the Portland Water Bureau switched to its backup water source, groundwater from wells along the Columbia River. The Water Bureau said it has stopped using Bull Run water out of an "abundance of caution" in response to repeated detection of a parasite known as cryptosporidium.