Costs to build Portland drinking water reservoir soar past expectations
The price to construct a new drinking water reservoir in Southwest Portland has ballooned more than 200% over the project’s lifetime, according to officials’ recent testimony to the City Council.
New expenses were added Wednesday when the mayor and commissioners approved $8 million in spending increases that officials said were necessary to keep the project going.
All told, the cost to build a 12.4 million gallon underground reservoir at Washington Park in order to satisfy federal regulations has soared far past officials’ original estimate of $67 million when the project launched in 2009. In 2015, engineers at the Water Bureau said the figure was actually closer to $170 million. Today, the cost is at least $205 million.
Additional expenses have arisen because of what the Portland Water Bureau has described as unforeseen soil problems encountered at the site.
Read more: https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2019/08/costs-to-build-portland-drinking-water-reservoir-soar-past-expectations.html
