Portlanders paying close attention to the "big pipe" potential overflow

[@TheBeeOBee]

I didn't know about the tracking website. Looks like it almost hit 100% overnight, and now at 77% and falling.

[@Azazel2024]

There's a lot you don't know about. For example that tells you nothing about how much actual waste water gets in the river. But whatever hair boy

[@GaryBickford]

Long term, as the existing 100+ year old sewer systems age out, an ideal improvement would be to bite the bullet and build separate storm water and septic sewer lines through the whole city. I was told back in about 2002 that some of the existing local-street sewer lines are still the original _wooden_ ones built in the late 1800s. This was discovered on acstreet in the hills above Burlingame. This seems unlikely, but whether it's true or not, and whether the Big Pipe is sufficient now, if the city grows the old problem will return. But if the storm drains are separated and run in their own lines, 99% of the runoff problem will be gone forever.

[@mattalley4330]

"This year, so far, we have only had one." Stated with the tone of someone announcing the cure for cancer. Its sad how low the bar is when it comes to not having a flood of human waste in the Willamette every time it rains heavily, and this is why I will never swim in that river and am frankly baffled as to why anyone would.

[@thorr18BEM]

Three overflows aren't only infrequent now but also much smaller with much less duration.

[@RandyZimmerman-pp5wj]

Now this is when government works good job to the workers and the engineers

[@JS-yj7ow]

I don’t even let my dog swim in the Willamette still. When I paddle, especially in the winter, I wear gloves sealed to my paddle jacket, and wash well after.

[@Azazel2024]

Probably because you're intelligent

[@fourthpanda]

Seems odd, why?

[@MingTheMerciless-xs5kb]

conservative russian-republicans are having a sad liberal voters and liberal government cleaned up the Willamette.

[@mattalley4330]

@@fourthpanda Nothing odd about it.

[@adamantium1983]

@@fourthpanda one of the filthiest rivers in America

[@cvrart]

The city could do a survey to assess which areas would be less catastrophically impact by stormwater not being drained as fast and backing up, and special stormwater drain valves could be installed in strategic locations to allow for "traffic control" of rainfall into the combined sewer and stormwater system, to minimize or avoid sewage overflow events.

[@grmmjhnsn2]

As a child you looked at the river and rolled your eyes. Now it's become a gem we not just cross but enjoy dipping into.

[@ATRTAP]

Great news, congratulations Portland!

[@PortlandViper]

Kevin Duckworth would NOT have supported banning motorized things from his dock. Anyone that knew him knows that.

[@cameronturner7475]

The only permanent answer is separating sanitary and storm.

[@BackToTheGame.98]

Bros just salivating thinking about the Willamette 1:47

[@cvrart]

I guess everybody should have something they can be really passionate about. FWIW, I appreciate the efforts of such folks.

[@legitbeans9078]

The bro loves his sewage and pooage

[@AhJodie]

Sewage overflow...... wow.... I never honestly thought about this, now I am disgusted...... I am glad they found a solution that seems to be working here!

[@bdjm8595]

WHAAAAAT, Portland doing something right?!!? Who knew !!

[@jamesford1096]

So are you telling people to hold a poop in when it’s raining a lot? If it’s yellow, let it mellow. If it’s brown let it drown?

[@matthewadventureexploratio6596]

Are they working on a Tunnel Extension for Max Trains in Downtown Portland or Interstate 5 & 405 to have a Longest Tunnel from the Zoo to Vancouver Washington & onto Fairview. They want it to happen, but it’s Extremely Expensive, it’s worth the effort on a Pressure.

[@MrStanwillis]

So portland dumps their sewage in the rivers?

[@IdeologyPill]

Seems that way.

[@parkerlaufenberg470]

Most city's use to, like 50 years ago

[@danlowe8684]

Every large, older city does - either into a river, lake, sea or ocean. The sewer systems were built as combination storm/sanitary systems. So, the storm runoff from many home gutters, foundation drain tiles, sump pumps, and roadways combines with the sewage and all of it ends up at the waste-water treatment plant (WWTP). The plants cannot handle this volume due to increases in population, suburbs that have joined the system over the decades, and increases in hard surface areas (pavement) - and the massive volumes of water involved with rain events. Thus, the plant has no choice but to release the untreated water into the river. The EPA passed new regulations around 2002 (give or take) and gave cities money and a grace period in which to comply with overflows before facing huge fines. Systems such as this are simply storage for the excess sewage that is then pumped to the WWTP at a manageable rate after the rain event. The treated water is then released into the river. No matter what you do, overflow events are going to occur, but they will be much less frequent and much smaller in release size.

[@brandonduarte6757]

It's the democrat way

[@Azazel2024]

Yep

[@mariopaz5521]

you spent 1.4 billion dollars just to dump shit in the willamette ? where you could of built a water and sewage treatment facility, and use reclaim water for other uses.

[@Cmon-Man]

Crazy huh? I live in Oregon (in the eastern, saner part) this is typical democrat thinking, which means there is no thinking. I’m sure Portland city officials received some financial kick backs. Unfortunately, this state will continue on this trajectory, because “vote blue no matter who” is the thought.

[@danlowe8684]

This is simply a storage system for the current WWTP during rain events. After the rain event, the stored sewage is pumped to the WWTP at a rate that allows the sewage to be processed and released into the river just as the rest of it is. Building a new WWTP that can handle the volume of combined storm/sanitary sewer water runoff during any given rain event would be prohibitive in many ways (cost, size, logistics, etc.). It would also be wasteful because that amount of volume is rarely needed.

[@Azazel2024]

They are super defensive about the big pipe fk up. A lot of media got paid off for it too

[@CheckAvailabilityYo]

The city spent almost 2 billion to prevent 95% of the over flow risk. If they wanted to eliminate the last 5% it would cost another 2 billion. Eliminating all the risk just isn't economically reasonable.

[@thorr18BEM]

Of course there's a treatment plant. It's only the rare and small overflow which bypasses the treatment. That being said, there's *another* $1.8 billion treatment plant which is supposed to be completed by 2027.

[@eprofessio]

They call it sewer to vilify it with their horned rim glass piety, the reality is it’s storm water runoff.

[@westcoast3595]

They make it sound like rocket science. Its not. Its just a work around.

[@ScotHarkins]

Now if you could install river speed bumps to slow down the boat traffic.

[@scottduke2809]

After the pipe install how can there be ANY overflows at all!!! Wtf are they doing?

[@GaryBickford]

It was much, much cheaper (short run) to leave the storm drains to continue to run into the sanitary sewer system and build a huge pipe to route that overflow from big rains out to the new, much larger septic system by Delta Park than to tear up every street in Portland to build two separate systems. But long term, separating the storm drains is really the only permanent good solution.

[@CheckAvailabilityYo]

The city spent almost 2 billion to prevent 95% of the over flow risk. If they wanted to eliminate the last 5% it would cost another 2 billion. Eliminating all the risk just isn't economically reasonable.

[@GaryBickford]

@CheckAvailabilityYo yes. IIRC the bonds that paid for the project cost that need to be paid by the Portland Water Bureau users caused sewer&water bills to increase by several times. I didn't and don't live there so I don't know the exact numbers, but I heard that like 80% of their water bills are for the sewer system as a whole.

[@Weshopwizard]

@@CheckAvailabilityYodiminishing returns.

[@f.demascio1857]

Physics man. A pipe of any diameter has a limit on how many gallons of a medium can flow through it without being maxed out. Factors: pipe diameter, distance, surface quality, density of medium, changes in direction etc.

[@bruceschorr3926]

Poop is on the way 😂

[@eddieraffs5909]

Now that the sewerage overflow is mostly been contained maybe the leaders can focus on stopping crime.

[@Medennison123]

My bad it’s all the good coffee

[@Jimmyjimjimjim]

For 1.4 billion the number of overflows should be zero.

[@trivialinsignific]

do those poo poo pipes also contain fart gas ? because if i had made it, it would also contain fart gas and pee pee

[@ralphbieker8104]

THE BIG PIPE BETTER HOLD, BASED ON WHAT WE WERE FORCED TO PAY FOR IT !!! WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS PIPE ???

[@Azazel2024]

Democrats

[@TheAlgomalo]

Pipe down and turn off your caps lock. You clearly don’t understand the subject, but that doesn’t stop you from raging about it.

[@ralphbieker8104]

@ GROW UP, LOOK AROUND,AFTER YOU EMPTY YOUR LIBERAL MIND !!!

[@CheckAvailabilityYo]

The city spent almost 2 billion to prevent 95% of the over flow risk. If they wanted to eliminate the last 5% it would cost another 2 billion. Eliminating all the risk just isn't economically reasonable.

[@Nuttyirishman85]

Will you hold my Portland big pipe?

[@HostileHairline]

So many bots in here lol

[@jasonlarsen3515]

What about all the hobo debris?

[@evognayr]

What about it? The homeowners are dumping raw sewage in the river.

[@jasonlarsen3515]

@ when a hobo poops on the street where does that go?

[@failedmusician5157]

Those fish are high af on fentanyl, and the all started contracting hepatitis-a ever since those pipes started working.

[@randywl8925]

Get out your notepad and type in "Portland big pipe" to find out exactly what it is, then do another search to find out why they called this guy "Ringleader". ......nice reporting. 🙄 I guess this news story was only aimed at native Portlanders who might have had some clue as to what they were celebrating.

[@trivialinsignific]

oh portland, portland where ? alaska ? or maybe kansas ? yes yes yes, poo pipes are grand poo poo BREAKING NEWS : poo poo pipes

[@dingusflingus]

Nice pipe pdx

[@wn0dfh]

A January beach party on the Willamette ! Sounds like shits n' giggles, be sure to send an invite to Joe and Kamala !

[@Azazel2024]

Guaranteed the more ons that go * eg the Portland Mercury staff * voted for cackling drunky

[@legitbeans9078]

Too many poos in the river

[@VikingShelters]

Typical... massive DEI hires caused all this....

[@fourthpanda]

What the fuck are you talking about crazy

[@tomwoehle3519]

For a city that is so environmentally conscious it is interesting how they dont mind dumping raw sewage into a river. The epa is asleep this election cycle?

[@TheAlgomalo]

What part of spending 1.4 Billion on infrastructure to prevent sewage spills did you not understand? Every major city on a waterway has issues with sewage spills from storm runoff. Portland isn’t even on the ranking list of cities with the worst sewage spills.

[@IdeologyPill]

Exactly!! Portland is a dump!

[@braxtonmills1235]

Tom doesn't like Portland he's a bot beep beep.

[@IdeologyPill]

@@braxtonmills1235 what does that even mean ? And why should we care? 🤦🏼

[@tomwoehle3519]

@@TheAlgomalo Butt if you found someone's septic tank was leaking into the river you would.....

[@Euronymphflyfishing]

Good job it took you 100 years to figure out the sewage problem and he’s like gloating about it , mkay.🎉

[@TheAlgomalo]

Every city is dealing with antiquated sewage infrastructure. Since you know how to write, I assume you can also read. Take a second and educate yourself about the how many cities have major sewage overflows during storms. Portland is ahead of the curve on mitigating the problem. If only they could get the zombies off the streets.

[@wendellnewman5152]

He isn't the one who has been working on it for 100 years. He and the team he works with is the one that solved it when other's couldn't. He should gloat.

[@ari7610]

god youre seriously salty about someone solving a problem for the community? get a grip!

[@troy.peters]

What do they do about all the waste from the homeless that just washes into the river when it rains?

[@patrikisgod]

probably negligible compared to all the feces from rats and mice

[@BarryFoster-wc1ut]

That does count.

[@ari7610]

wdym? What is water management suppose to do about that? that "waste" is very negligible compared to industrial polluters and other issues. they have much bigger fish to fry, which are actually in their wheelhouse.. Homelessness is not, and they are not contributing much waste at all anyway.

[@drAgonflysix2]

Yeah so jump in the water & swim around with the local shit.

[@danielkingery2894]

Yeah...because ZERO MILLIONS OF ANIMALS ARE SHITTING IN THE RIVER UPSTREAM....

[@nathanhammond8077]

Nope

[@danielkingery2894]

@nathanhammond8077 nope what?

[@Justrandomvideos-2023]

It will fall apart like the rest of portland

[@IdeologyPill]

No City Management- Just a nonstop city circus 🤡 🎉

[@sunriver3946]

This is why I use paper bags and throw my recycle in the trash because no amount of paper bags and recycling cardboard, glass plastic and whenever else is going to be equivalent to the government spilling ShXt in the river! Do as I say not as I do!

[@VikingShelters]

Hahaha how about getting a job and living somewhere with a toilet.. doing better than most in San Francisco..

[@HostileHairline]

Just say you dont understand how stormwater and pollution works lmao

[@sunriver3946]

@@HostileHairline Looks like it works really well when it doesn't work! CSL and CWOT!

[@tbone1780]

Kinda shitty.🐿🦝🇺🇲