Question: How much does Portland save by protecting its drinking watershed?
Answer: $200 million
It would cost the city of Portland $200 million to install a drinking water filtration system for its 825,000 residents. Instead, it spends about $900,000 annually to protect the forests and streams within the Bull Run watershed. Not only does this protection ensure clean, inexpensive drinking water, it also safeguards the many other ecosystem services provided by healthy watersheds, including flood mitigation and water storage, aesthetic values, and wildlife habitat.
Source: Postel, S. 2005. Liquid Assets: The Critical Need to Safeguard Freshwater Ecosystems. WorldWatch Paper 170. The Worldwatch Institute. http://www.worldwatch.org/node/820, p. 29
