Portland lifts water-boiling order; now tempers are simmering

Portland lifted its drinking water alert Sunday afternoon, meaning westside residents no longer have to boil water, but the E. coli contamination scare has many people simmering in anger instead.

The contamination, discovered Thursday but not relayed to the public until confirmed by a second test Saturday, plainly worried many residents. They questioned why the alert was not given sooner, said officials didn't clearly define the affected area and wondered whether their tap water had made them sick.

It also reignited the argument over whether Portland's five open water storage reservoirs -- part of a system that provides drinking water for more than 860,000 people -- should be covered.

City officials, however, defended the Portland Water Bureau's handling of the situation.

"The system worked exactly as it was planned to work," Commissioner Randy Leonard said at a news conference Sunday. Leonard, who is in charge of the bureau, said no one was at risk during the alert.

Leonard and Mayor Sam Adams said the incident points out the need for improvements, however. Adams said the city should have a system similar to school districts, which e-mail parents when library books are due and make automated telephone calls to warn of closures during bad weather.

The contamination was limited to a single reservoir at Washington Park, but Water Bureau Director David Shaff said the bureau hasn't the capability to pinpoint which customers receive water from which reservoirs. Lacking that, the bureau had to issue a blanket boil-water order to westside residents. It was the first time in the bureau's history that it issued such a directive.

The order affected about 50,000 residences and businesses west of the Willamette River and receiving water from the Portland Water Bureau or the Burlington, Palatine Hill or Valley View water districts, which buy water from Portland.

In response, residents emptied store shelves of bottled water, restaurants on Portland's westside tossed out ice, quit serving water and coffee or closed, and hotels offered guests bottled water and apologies. Some people boiled water for tea and coffee and brushed their teeth with sparkling water.

"I think a lot of people are pretty worried," said Jessica Johnson, who lives in Northwest Portland. "My mom called to tell me yesterday, and I had just chugged a glass of water. But I'm feeling fine."

Leonard said some people overreacted, but said the incident pointed out the need to have water and other emergency supplies on hand. Multnomah County health officer Dr. Gary Oxman said the warning system is a "designed over-reaction" intended to protect the most vulnerable residents.

The E. coli bacteria found in the reservoir was not the most serious type, Oxman said. He and other health officials said the most likely symptoms would be a sore stomach and diarrhea. Hospitals haven't reported any increase in illness, Oxman said.

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