Skip to main contentIn 1992, Portland faced a drought. The Water Bureau begged Portlanders to conserve every precious drop of Bull Run's H2O. Watering lawns and washing cars was restricted. Water police cruised the streets, handing out warnings.
For a time, it felt as though Oregon were Arizona or--gasp!--California, states where water restrictions and droughts are part of the social fabric. But this, this was Portland, ecotopia, an urban rain forest where each year 40 inches of water slap down from the sky. It was almost unnatural for a drought to happen here.
This year, the unnatural almost happened again, the result of an unusually dry winter.
And then came April's rains. Without them, Portlanders would once again have had to stop watering their lawns and let their cars sit dirty in the streets.
Elsewhere in Oregon, people are facing severe water shortages. Detroit Lake, east of Salem, now resembles a puddle, and then there's that battle for irrigation water in Klamath Falls. To the north, Washington Gov. Gary Locke declared a statewide drought emergency earlier this year.
By comparison Portland is lucky. Turn on the tap and out comes sweet water from the Bull Run reservoirs, located in the western foothills of Mount Hood. Suitable for drinking and watering shrubbery.
Many Portlanders assume, perhaps, that since the water is always there it will always be there.
A number of environmentalists argue, however, that Portland's supply of water is not limitless. For one thing, the city is estimated to grow by 50,000 people in the next 20 years, straining our current water-storage capacity in the two Bull Run reservoirs. The most likely options will be either to chop down 400 acres of old-growth trees to build a third reservoir or to begin using the Willamette River as a source of drinking water.
Beyond the projected growth, since the late '90s the city of Portland has been under federal order to protect the habitat of salmon and steelhead in the Bull Run River, which is fed by the city's reservoirs. Protecting habitat means that the city has to release enough water into the river to maintain water temperature and depth conducive to the fishes' spawning patterns. To do that, the city's Water Bureau needs to keep adequate water supplies in its reservoirs so that it may release the right amount of water at the right time, especially in late summer and early fall when fish return to their spawning grounds.
The argument is simple, says Jim Middaugh, Endangered Species Act program manager for the city. More water in the reservoirs provides greater flexibility in optimizing flows in the Bull Run River. Increased water use in Portland limits the amount of water available for fish.
Fortunately, most Portlanders have become prudent about their water use. In 1991, the average Portlander used 85 gallons of water each day. Today, whether because of the installation of low-flow shower heads and toilets or conservative lawn watering, the average Portlander uses only 73 gallons each day, a 14-percent drop. (The average daily use in Tucson, Ariz., by contrast, is 160 gallons.)
But not all Portlanders are so conscientious. A review of Water Bureau records identified a number of households that, one could argue, use more than their fair share. The average household in Portland uses 146,000 gallons each year. The following hydro hogs used as much as 1 million gallons a year. TOP 15 HYDRO HOGS
HOW THE LIST WAS ASSEMBLED:
The following list comes from the Portland Water Bureau and covers consumption by households from July 1, 2000, to June 30, 2001. WW removed from the list households that developed large leaks in their water systems that spiked consumption for a period of time.
Few people in Portland are unaware that the Water Bureau has huge billing software problems, but WW has checked and rechecked the following accounts with the bureau.
This list includes only users in the city of Portland; there are undoubtedly households in Lake Oswego and Beaverton which, with larger properties, use even more water.
Similarly, it's not clear exactly why users appear on this list. It could be due to a pool, lawn irrigation systems, extensive landscaping--or a combination of all three.
1. MICHAEL AND SUSAN BURMEISTER-BROWN
Northwest Skyline Boulevard
Gallons used: 1,088,340
7.5 times the average household
The number of people who could take
eight-minute showers with this amount of water: 30,231
He developed Yahoo! instant messenger and was bought out by the company; she publishes Glimmer Train Stories, a quarterly collection of regional fiction. Michael returned WW's phone call and said, "This whole thing was a surprise to me." He thinks that a temporary irrigation system to water fir and birch trees is the culprit.
2. LEWIS SCOTT
Southwest Humphrey Boulevard
Gallons used: 909,568
6.2 times the average household
The number of toilet flushes you could make with this amount of water: 259,877
Scott is a lawyer associated with Lane Powell Spears Lubersky. He did not return our request for comment.
4. PETER KOHLER
Southwest Montgomery Drive
Gallons used: 856,460
5.9 times the average household
Number of baths you could take with this amount of water: 21,411
Dr. Kohler is president of OHSU. He did not return WW's requests for comment, but OHSU's PR department did, stating in an email to WW that it questioned the validity of the Water Bureau's data.
3. KATHY AND DONALD FROOM
Southwest 45th Avenue
Gallons used: 857,956
5.9 times the average household
The loads of laundry you could wash using a water-efficient washing machine with this amount of water: 142,993
Donald Froom is a nephrologist at St. Vincent's Hospital. Asked about their water usage, Kathy said, "The Water Bureau releases that information?" She declined further comment.
6. SCOTT THOMASON
Northwest Luray Circle
Gallons used: 826,540
5.7 times the average household
The number of days it would take to use this amount of water if you turned your kitchen faucet on full blast: 115
He owns a substantial chunk of
the Thomason Autogroup and, until recently, was one of the most visible faces in local advertising. Thomason returned WW's call and said he was baffled where his use might come from, as he only lives on one acre. He said he'd have someone check his pool and Jacuzzi for leaks.
5. TOM HOLCE
North Lotus Drive
Gallons used: 831,776
5.7 times the average household
The number of loads you could wash
with this amount of water using a water-efficient dishwasher: 332,710
Long a fixture in the Oregon business community, Holce now runs his own investment firm, Tom Holce Investments. He was unavailable for comment.
7. JORDAN SCHNITZER
Southwest Hessler Drive
Gallons used: 819,060
5.6 times the average household
The number of beer kegs this amount of water would fill: 52,843
The son of Harold and Arlene, Jordan is involved in real-estate development. He did not respond to WW's request for comment.
8. JOHN AND FRAN VON SCHLEGELL
Southwest Montgomery Drive
Gallons used: 813,076
5.6 times the average household
The number of bottles of wine this water would fill: 4,103,770
John is a co-founder of Endeavour Capital, a local investment firm. Fran admitted to feeling "like an idiot" when WW called. "I'm glad you brought it to my attention," she said.
9. FRANKLIN DRAKE
Southwest Scholls Ferry Road
Gallons used: 800,360
5.5 times the average
household
Number of queen-sized waterbeds you could fill with this amount of water: 4,002
Drake did not return WW's phone calls.
10. GEORGE O'LEARY
Northwest Monte Vista Terrace
Gallons used: 777,920
5.3 times the average household
Number of hot tubs you could fill with this amount of water: 1,944
WW was unable to contact O'Leary.
11. TOM KING
Northwest Skyview Drive
Gallons used: 749,496
5.1 times the average household
The area of land you could cover to the depth of one foot with this amount of water: 2.3 acres
WW was unable to contact King.
12. RALPH SHAW
Southwest Brentwood Drive
Gallons used: 712,844
4.9 times the average household
The number of 16-ounce latte cups you could fill with this amount of water: 5,702,752
Shaw, one of Oregon's leading venture capitalists, did not return WW's request for comment.
13. HERBERT SEMLER
Southwest Hamilton Street
Gallons used: 697,884
4.9 times the average household
Number of days you could run the drinking fountains downtown continuously with this amount of water--2.5 days
Semler did not respond to WW's request for comment.
14. JERRY REHBEIN
Southeast 174th Avenue
Gallons used: 684,420
4.7 times the average household
The number of hybrid cars you could scrub with this amount of water at a Kaady car wash: 22,814
WW was unable to contact Rehbein.
15. GREGG MILLER
Northeast Alameda Street
Gallons used: 656,744
4.5 times the average household
Number of times you could fill Salmon Street Fountain with this amount of water: 133
Miller did not respond to WW's request for comment.
Cash Flow
As do many cities, Portland has a three-tiered progressive rate structure for water. Based upon a water-industry standard known as one "unit," or 748 gallons, the Water Bureau charges $1.50 per unit for the first 36 units of water used during a three-month period; between 36 units and 2,046 units the price rises to $1.72 per unit; any units consumed above that cost $2.03 per unit.
The majority of users fall into the first two tiers. The third tier is specifically set up to make big water users pay through the nose or cut back on their usage. It is likely that during the summer months, some of the homes on our list fall into this third tier.
Some environmentalists contend that the city's rate structure isn't nearly
aggressive enough to encourage real conservation.
A tactic used by some cities is to raise third-tier pricing even higher during
summer months, when water use is at its peak.
For example, in Seattle the top rate paid by big users jumps from $2.85 per unit to $11.40 per unit during the summer.
City Commissioner Erik Sten, who oversees the beleaguered Water Bureau, says that last year plans were in the works to begin introducing high summer rates within a few years, but that those plans are now "indefinitely delayed," drowned by the bureau's infamous computer billing problem.
--PD
OTHER NOTABLE HOSERS...
.A number of notable Portland citizens were not among the city's 15 largest users of water, but they were close.
Jeff Grayson
606,628
Unindicted investment juggler
Leonard Schnitzer
561,000
Part of Schnitzer clan
Howard Hedinger
563,992
Steel magnate and OMSI benefactor
Timothy Boyle
533,324
President/CEO of Columbia Sportwear
Sandra Mims Rowe
469,744
Editor, The Oregonian
Greg Goodman
445,060
Parking-lot monopolist
Ted & Dulcy Mahar
418,880
Lifestyle and Home & Garden writers, The Oregonian
WWeek 2015