On January 5, 2006 the federal government issued the final Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (otherwise known as LT2).

How LT2 threatens Bull Run and Portland's drinking water.

From the outset, the LT2 Rule requirement for additional treatment of unfiltered water supplies was a cookie-cutter approach to treatment nationwide. If forced to comply, Portland would incur huge new costs for unnecessary treatment. Plans are being developed for an unnecessary filtration system right now. Although the rule was in development for many years, major flaws exist in the final rule. The expressed intent of this Surface Water Regulation is to address public health illness from Cryptosporidium and other microbial pathogens. While it may benefit many communities with polluted water and/or treated sewage flowing into drinking water sources, the rule will not demonstrably benefit public health for those who drink from Portland's system. Why?

After a comprehensive 18-month review in conjunction with public health officials, the Citizens Panel on Bull Run Treatment concluded that there would be no measurable public health benefit from additional treatment of our pristine Bull Run source water.

The Bull Run Watershed enjoys unique federal legislative protections. The Bull Run is a forested and undeveloped watershed on federal land, with restrictions on logging and entry of human and domestic animals (sources of viruses, bacteria and protozoa).  These stringent watershed protections, some in place for over one hundred years and some legislated as recently as 2001, have increasingly been recognized by the EPA and the drinking water industry as the most cost effective strategy for protection of superb water quality. There have never been any demonstrated outbreaks of cryptosporidium associated with Bull Run water. LT2 completely disregards the effectiveness of a closed, pristine, water source like Bull Run in preventing disease outbreaks.

Click here to see a timeline of the LT2 rule as it has played out for Bull Run.
Check out a map of the Bull Run Watershed and the areas served by Bull Run water.
Oregon Wild letter to Randy Leonard on the LT2 rule.

What you can do--Contact City Council and let them know that they need more time to consider the ramifications of any decisions regarding the treatment of Bull Run water.

Photo: Portland Water Bureau