Protesters converge on city hall over high water bills | Community Spirit

PORTLAND, Ore. – There was a showdown on the steps of Portland City Hall on Friday afternoon.

The latest controversy? High water bills.

Tempers boiled over as commissioners consider rate increases that could make Portland's water bills nearly double. Friday’s protest came after a recent KATU investigation and city audit showed sewer and water money being used on pet projects.

More than a 100 protesters took their message to the streets and directed their attention at Portland Water Bureau Commissioner Randy Leonard.

Protesters said Leonard is ignoring the fact that Bull Run Reservoir has some of the cleanest drinking water in the United States. It's the main source of Portland’s water. Officials from the Environmental Protection Agency ordered Portland to cover certain reservoirs, take some off line and treat Bull Run water.

Demonstrators said Leonard refuses to work with EPA officials and get a permanent waiver or exemption from covering and treating water.  Those projects will cost more than $500 million and cause water bills to almost double by 2016.

"They're projected to go up to the most expensive in the country in the next five years if Commissioner Leonard has his way,” said Kent Craford of the Portland Water Users Coalition.

Cherie Lambert-Holenstein was one of Friday’s protesters.

“The politicians cry about lack of money,” she said. “They're cutting services. Everybody uses water. Water is life and we have the best water system in the country."

The demonstrators not only want a waiver, so that they can get out from under the rate increases, but they also want a full accounting of where the public’s utility money is being spent.

"The way they are appropriating the funds is definitely unethical and I'm not even sure if it's legal,” said protester Antonia Giedwoin.

When asked if there is money from ratepayers being used to keep general fund purposes afloat, Leonard was succinct.

“No,” he said. “None.”

But a spokesman for business owner questions how money is being spent. He said it’s getting too expensive for employers.    

"We're burning the candle at both ends for Portland businesses,” Craford said. “The costs are rising. The revenues are flat. It's becoming harder and harder to do business in this city."

Leonard went on to say he would support a full independent audit to see how every cent of utility money is being spent. However, he pointed out that as far as these expensive projects go, the buck stops with the EPA.