This Post is Full of Sh….

Sometimes Portland City Hall, and their partners in crime at the Oregonian just make writing a web post too easy. As you’ll see today “¦ very little writing is necessary “¦ just cut and paste! We begin with yesterdays story in the Oregonian “¦ no doubt straight from the Water Bureau’s spin office. Westside sewage on a cleaner route by Spencer Heinz The Story begins “¦

On top, things look the same. Below, the big flush begins. Today — after 21/2 years of tunneling — the $390 million westside leg of Portland’s $1.4 billion ratepayer-funded Big Pipe project starts giving back by getting more sewage in for treatment. The idea is to start cutting way back on decades of rain-driven overflows into the Willamette River downtown.

And it continues with more great news about how wonderful this 1.4 billion dollar program is going. What are they not telling you? How about this little nugget from the City Hall’s Environmental Department a few hours before the story “¦.

Media Advisory
September 13, 2006
For immediate release For more information contact Linc Mann, 503-823-5328, or Joan Saroka, 823-5021

Sewage spill to the Willamette River north of downtown Portland

Construction debris clogging a sewer pipe caused sewage to back up and overflow into the Willamette River today. The overflow was on the west side of the river near the foot of NW 9th Avenue about halfway between the Broadway and Fremont bridges. Maintenance crews discovered the overflow at about 11:50 a.m. today. They cleared the obstruction and stopped the overflow at 2:00 p.m. From the time they discovered the overflow and the time they cleared the clogged pipe, an estimated 6,500 gallons of sewage overflowed to the river. People should avoid contact with the Willamette River in the area around NW 9th and NW Front Avenue through tomorrow afternoon because of increased bacteria in the water. The Bureau of Environmental Services provides city residents with Clean River programs including, water quality protection, wastewater collection and treatment, and sewer installation. -30-

That’s right “¦ over 6 thousand gallons of raw untreated sewage was dumped into the River. But I guess that doesn’t fit into the touchy feel good aspects of the story that City Hall and the Oregonian wanted to write about. Right about now “¦ the Lefty Blogers are getting ready to retort. But Dylan “¦ the pipe was completely a few hours after this problem so it won’t happen again. But a few hours after the story “¦ BEEP BEEP BEEP “¦. This just in from the news wire.

Portland’s combined sewers have overflowed into the Willamette River

City recommends caution for recreational river use
Summer CSO Advisory
September 14, 2006 For immediate release
For more information contact Linc Mann, 503-823-5328

City recommends caution for recreational river use Due to the most recent rainstorm, Portland’s combined sewers have overflowed. Portland’s Environmental Services advises the public against any recreational activity in the Willamette River during which water could be swallowed. The public should avoid the Willamette River for 48 hours after the rain has stopped. It is especially important to avoid recreational activities—such as water skiing, jet skiing or swimming—during which water could be swallowed. While health risks from combined sewer overflows are unknown, these precautions are taken to protect the public health. People who fish should wash their hands following contact with the water. Those who choose to eat fish caught in the Willamette River should cook them thoroughly to kill bacteria. In many areas of Portland, sewage mixes with stormwater runoff in what is called a combined sewer system. When the combined sewer system receives too much runoff, it overflows into the Willamette River. These combined sewer overflows (CSOs) are contaminated with bacteria from untreated sewage. Portland is in the 15th year of a 20-year program to improve the city’s sewer system. Until the program is complete, overflows of untreated sewage and stormwater will occur during rain storms, although as the program progresses, the frequency of overflows and number of outfalls are diminishing. The Bureau of Environmental Services provides city residents with Clean River programs including, water quality protection, wastewater collection and treatment, and sewer installation. -30-

That right “¦ that mist of a rain that we had yesterday that cause me to turn my wipers on as I drove back from a breakfast meeting was enough to cause the sewers to overflow! Are you kidding me? Back to the orginal Oregonian story “¦

City Commissioner Sam Adams, who inherited the project 14 months ago from Commissioner Dan Saltzman, praised the work so far as on time and on budget.

Your killin me Smalls!!! What pipe are they smoking? Just a few paragraphs later “¦.

Dean Marriott, director of Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services, said the bureau budgeted an inflation-adjusted $308 million to cover a $293 million construction contract signed in 2002. Expected associated work brought the project to $390 million, Marriott said.

Just to extrapolate for second “¦ if we continue along this “on budget” pace “¦. The final total will jump from 1.4 to 1.7 billion dollars. I guess in the end we know who is full of sh*t in this story!