Senator Bonham faults Portland Water Bureau over Bull Run filtration project, cites large cost increases

Senator Bonham criticized the Portland Water Bureau on the Senate floor, saying the agency misled local residents and legislators about the Bull Run water filtration project and that the project has seen large cost increases.

“They wasted over $200,000,000 on consultants prior to breaking ground on the project,” Senator Bonham said, adding that construction spending later reached about $300,000,000 before legal setbacks. He said the project is now estimated to cost $2,130,000,000, and that a point‑of‑site ultraviolet system would have cost “only $300,000,000 total.”

Bonham told colleagues that the bureau retained environmental consultants whose job, in his assessment, was to mitigate legal risk rather than fairly assess environmental impacts. He added that the bureau had attempted to use the legislature to circumvent land‑use laws and that, after legislators realized problems with the bureau’s information, bill sponsors withdrew support.

Bonham also said the project’s escalating costs have prompted some local jurisdictions to pursue alternative water supplies; he named Gresham, Rockwood and Tualatin as expanding groundwater wells to avoid what he described as “skyrocketing costs.”

The senator cited a ruling by the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals against the bureau as part of his floor remarks but did not propose a formal Senate motion on the subject during the session.

The remarks were delivered as a floor remonstrance and reflect Bonham’s view as recorded in the Senate transcript.