Controversy continues over Portland water filtration plant for Bull Run

Costs continue to increase for the filtration plant planned by the Portland Water Bureau to remove contaminants from Bull Run water. The City Council received the latest update shortly before opponents testified against its rural location during a Multnomah County land-use permitting hearing.

On June 26, bureau officials told the City Council the cost for the plant is now estimated at up to $1.834 billion. That is around $350 million more than the most recent estimate and nearly four times the $500 million estimated when the council approved the project six years ago.

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Jim Redden is a reporter based in Portland, Ore.

The location of the Portland Water Bureau’s planned plant to filter Bull Run water continues to be controversial. Neighbors and several local …