[PLUG-TALK] Ash in Bull Run Water (source for Portland and West Slope)

[Keith Lofstrom]

Our water here in West Slope is purchased from Portland
and stored in a huge tank up the hill.  Portland's (and
our) water comes from Bull Run Lake, 8 miles northwest
of Mount Hood, and is carried west in a pair of 12 foot
diameter pipes for temporary storage in the Powell Butte
underground reservoirs.  From there, a dedicated pipe
(60 inch?) serves the West Hills and our West Slope
neighborhood.  I'd guess the latency in the pipes from
Bull Run to our house is 3 to 8 days. 

I sometimes take late-night baths.  I wrap a washcloth
around the tub faucet to muffle the fill noise.  The cheap
washcloths I use start out an ugly store-bought yellow,
and typically turn a little brown inside after a couple
of months of use, probably rust from our aging pipes.

This morning I noticed that the recently-changed washcloth
is BLACK.  There are FAR MORE PARTICULATES in the water
recently, presumably ash falling into Bull Run lake.
I change our Multipure drinking water filter cartridge
annually, and last did so in August;  I may need to 
change that early.

The Portland water bureau assures us the water is safe
to drink:

https://www.portlandoregon.gov/water/article/766040

Portland water probably still is, relatively speaking,
compared to the industrial-waste-laden swill some cities
pump and some bottled-water companies sell. 

But you might consider a home water filter or distiller
until the fires are out and Bull Run clears up, perhaps
months from now. 

DON'T consider store-bought water in plastic bottles -
those companies spend more on labels, plastic, and
advertising than they do on filters.

Keith

-- 
Keith Lofstrom          keithl at keithl.com