Sandy moves to tap Bull Run water

Connection could be made within a couple of years, making the city less vulnerable

By Jim Hart

The Sandy Post, Nov 24, 2009, Updated Nov 25, 2009

This dam, the largest of two Bull Run dams, was built in 1929, and holds back almost 10 billion gallons of water. At the base of the dam is a powerhouse that produces electric power, which is sold to PGE.

contributed photo by Portland Water Bureau / Sandy Post

Within two or three years, residents of the city of Sandy could be drinking water from the unfiltered Bull Run reservoir — just like the people of Portland and several other metro-area cities.

Sandy’s public works director, Mike Walker, said city officials have been talking with Portland Water Bureau (PWB) engineers to plan how and where to make the connection.

An agreement signed last year will be in effect until 2028, according to Dave Evonuk, a senior engineer for PWB.

Walker said the tie-in with Bull Run water would provide another source of water if Alder Creek water were ever contaminated as well as an essential back-up if Alder Creek flows diminish or the pipeline had to be shut off.

Sandy is now served by water from Alder Creek as well as a small spring off McCabe Road.

At a recent meeting of the Sandy City Council, City Manager Scott Lazenby announced that PWB officials had decided to place their new ultraviolet water treatment facility at the Bull Run headworks, which gives advantages to Sandy.

“The good thing about that for Sandy,” Walker said, “is that we would be able to make the connection to (PWB water) a lot closer to Sandy than we first thought.”

Evonuk said engineers would meet Monday, Nov. 23, to determine if the connection was feasible. If all is OK, which Evonuk says he believes it is, Sandy would save the expense of about 2 miles of pipeline.

More than 2 miles of pipe would be necessary to reach the intersection of Hudson and Lusted roads, where the tie-in could be accomplished, Walker said. The pipeline would likely follow Bluff Road on its way to Sandy.

At the time of the connection, which by the agreement must be accomplished by 2013, the city of Sandy would become a PWB wholesale customer. Evonuk says the city could choose to buy Bull Run water sooner, likely during 2012 if the pipe is ready.

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