Sewage Problems. Portland’s sewers combine wastewater and stormwater. During heavy storms, the sewers overflow and spill sewage that is often untreated.

•    Sewage Discharges.
-    Before beginning its major sewer improvement program, the city’s combined sewers released 6 billion gallons of wastewater a year into the Willamette River.
-    The improvement projects more than halved this number, cutting it to 2.7 billion gallons a year, of which 20 percent is untreated sewage

•    Sewage Spills and Fines. The state fined Portland for its excessive sewage spills.
-    88 sewage spills that reached rivers and streams 2001 to 2007
-    2.3 million gallons of untreated sewage spilled
-    Causes: breaking pipes, clogged sewers and failed pump stations
-    Portland agreed to the state’s largest water quality enforcement settlement: $117,000 fine and $469,000 for environmental improvement projects

Infrastructure Needs. Portland’s aging water infrastructure needs major improvements and maintenance. Many large sewer pipelines are more than 100 years old.

•    Water System. $242 million in improvement projects from 2007 to 2012, including:
-    $129 million to repair mains, pumps and other distribution components
-    $37 million for water transmission and storage
-    $20 million for regulatory compliance 

•    Sewer System. $620 million in improvement projects from 2007 to 2012, including:
-    $381 million to reduce combined sewer overflows
-    $121 million for maintenance and reliability
-    $53 million for sewage treatment system upgrades

•    Federal and State Requirements. Long-term projects to meet federal regulations
-    $1.4 billion, 20-year “Big Pipe” project to control combined sewage and rain runoff overflows, expected completion by 2012
-    Between $100 million and $350 million to treat Portland’s drinking water to meet the requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act.

Rates. Although the federal and state governments are requiring expensive, albeit necessary, in-frastructure projects, they are failing to provide the city with substantial assistance. The cost of these projects are falling back on local residents.

•    Water Rates. Water rates increased by 8.6 percent in July 2008
-    Typical single-family water bill is still only 75 percent of six-city average 
-    The 19 suburban water agencies that buy Portland water saw even higher increases – as much 16 percent this year 
-    An average household using 162 gallons is billed around $0.63 a day for water

•    Sewer Rates.
-    The typical residential sewer bill was $41.38 a month at the end of 2007.
-    5.7 percent increase to $46.91 a month in 2008
-    By the end of 2011, when the major sewer overflow project should be completed, the city expects the average monthly bill to be nearly $18 more a month – $59.42.