Portland Again Finds Parasite In Bull Run Water

For the seventh time this year, the Portland Water Bureau has received a positive test for the parasite cryptosporidium in the water supply at the Bull Run Reservoir. On Monday, the parade of positive results forced the city to announce had suspended use of Bull Run water to supply the city.

The city is now using water from the Columbia South Shore Well Field to its residents.

In addition to providing water to the people of Portland, Bull Run supplies several other areas including Gresham and Sandy.

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While they have been receiving positive results, the city says that the levels are below a level of that would pose a risk to the public.

"The health and safety of our customers is our top priority" said Portland Water Bureau Administrator Michael Stuhr. "We will continue to work with our partners at Multnomah County Health Department and Oregon Health Authority while monitoring our drinking water source."

The city says that symptoms of cryptosporidiosis may include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, and fever. The symptoms can range from mild to severe.

These symptoms are common in the general population this time of year - up to 2 percent of the public can have similar symptoms on any given day (11,000 people in Portland).

The city says that health professionals recommend seeking medical advice if these symptoms persist for more than a few days.

Before bringing Bull Run back online, the city might consider other long-term options including a water treatment plant and a filtration system.

The city says that the Columbia South Shore Well Field is a high-quality water supply which meets or surpasses all federal and state drinking water regulations.

It may take up to two weeks, depending on location, for groundwater to make its way through the distribution system to homes and businesses. The well field is used as a secondary source for the Bull Run Watershed, most often in the summer when the region's demand increases.

The city's water bureau says that they will continue to sample the Bull Run for Cryptosporidium and gather information about these detections. With additional information, and in consultation with public health officials, the bureau will decide when to re-activate the Bull Run supply.

Public notification is not required, the city says. They says that they inform the media and sensitive water users, as a practice, when it activates groundwater and when it has significant operational changes.

The bureau will continue to provide public notice as decisions are made.

Photo Portland Water Bureau