Portland Water Bureau

1120 SW 5th Avenue, #600
Portland, OR 97204
(503) 823-7404

Administrator: David Shaff
Commissioner in Charge: Randy Leonard

The Portland Water Bureau operates the water supply system that delivers high-quality drinking water to more than 787,000 people who live in the Portland metropolitan area. The primary water source is the Bull Run Watershed located 26 miles east of downtown Portland, Oregon in the Mt. Hood National Forest. Portland also uses groundwater as a supplemental water supply.

The Water Bureau is a rate-financed, city-owned utility. Water rates are established each year to assure adequate revenues for water system support.

The Portland Water Bureau has wholesale contracts with 19 water purveyors in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area, including cities, water districts, and private water companies. Portland can potentially sell water to a wholesale population of 385,000 and routinely provides wholesale service to over 260,000 people. Annual wholesale water sales account for 19 percent of annual water sales and 39 percent of annual water demand.

City Council approves the budget annually. Citizens participate in the budget process. In 1995-96, Moody's Investor Service upgraded the Water Bureau's revenue bond rating from Aa to Aa1, one of the highest possible for municipal revenue bonds. This rating was affirmed in 2000 and again in April, 2004.

For more information, visit portlandonline.com. The Portland Water Bureau posts daily news on its blog at portlandonline.com/water/blog.