Construction is once again underway on Portland’s $2.1 billion Bull Run Filtration Project, following a nearly five-month suspension prompted by legal challenges from local residents. The Portland Water Bureau confirmed the resumption in a June 25 release, after the project received reapproval from Multnomah County officials.

The Bull Run Filtration Project, which broke ground in June 2024, came to a halt on February 14 after the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals overturned a previous land-use approval. Area residents and businesses argued the project would harm natural resources, prompting a reassessment. However, the county hearing officer disagreed with that interpretation, allowing work to continue, according to June 23 land-use board documentation.

“This decision allows us to move forward to protect public health, and to provide resilience to wildfires, landslides, flooding and other natural disasters,” Portland Mayor Keith Wilson stated in the Water Bureau’s news release. “The city is eager to put hundreds of construction tradespeople back to work to complete these critical water system improvements.”

The initiative is designed to bring Portland’s water system into compliance with state and federal drinking water standards and eliminate cryptosporidium, a harmful microscopic parasite. The project includes a filtration facility capable of treating 135 million gallons of water daily, along with seismically resilient pipelines.

Portland faces a federally mandated deadline to have the system operational by September 2027. The city selected a more infrastructure-intensive filtration solution to safeguard against wildfire or landslide contamination in the Bull Run watershed, according to ABC 8.

Crews began mobilizing equipment and personnel last week, said Portland Water Bureau spokesperson Bonita Oswald.

The filtration facility is being built by a joint venture, MWH-Kiewit, which includes MWH Constructors of Broomfield, Colorado, and Kiewit of Omaha, Nebraska. Pipeline construction is managed by Bull Run Conveyance Partners, made up of MWH Constructors and James W. Fowler Co. of Dallas, Oregon.

Despite progress, local resistance remains strong. Residents of east Multnomah County, where the facility is located, have expressed concern over potential farmland impacts and the preference for a less expensive alternative, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting. The project’s cost has ballooned from an estimated $500 million in 2017 to its current $2.1 billion total.

The Portland Water Bureau has emphasized that the Bull Run Filtration Project is essential for meeting long-term public health and climate resilience goals. In addition to filtering out cryptosporidium, the new system will help the city respond to increasing threats posed by environmental change.

While legal and community opposition has delayed progress, city officials argue that the filtration project is not just a regulatory obligation, but a necessary upgrade to protect future generations.

“Every delay adds cost, but also risk,” said a city water official not authorized to speak on the record. “We’re doing this to ensure clean, safe, and reliable drinking water for all Portlanders—today and decades from now.”

With construction activity picking up again, contractors are expected to ramp up hiring, providing economic benefits to the local trades and construction workforce.

Originally reported by Julie Strupp in Construction Dive.