Bend Bulletin - No 'forever chemicals' found in Deschutes River, boosting prospects for Warm Springs' water system fixes
Clear and clean water entering the Lower Deschutes from the Pelton Round Butte dam complex will help to reduce the construction costs of a new water filtration plant on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation.
That is according to the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, which released a report Monday detailing the quality of water flowing past the reservation’s southeastern border.
Testing showed no trace of PFAS chemicals, the so-called “forever chemicals” that do not break down naturally. Other chemicals normally found in tire rubber were also not detected in the sampling, according to a news release from Byron Kimball, a spokesperson for the tribes.
“The water source has low turbidity and high clarity, which correlate with fish health, and is easy to treat for all other water quality conditions under (Environmental Protection Agency) regulations,” Kimball said.
The Lower Deschutes River begins below the Pelton Round Butte hydroelectric dam project, which is co-owned by the tribes and Portland General Electric. The complex includes a 273-foot-high tower designed to regulate water temperatures below the dams.
Colorado-based Bai Engineers, which conducted the water sampling, told the Warm Springs Tribal Council the Deschutes River water quality was “among the best in the nation.” Samples were collected in December and May.
Chico Holliday, public utilities general manager for the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, said the tribes will continue water sampling quarterly to check for any variances that may be caused by seasonal changes.
Water system failures
The water testing results will be welcome news in Warm Springs, where water shutoffs and orders to boil water are not uncommon for the reservation’s approximately 4,000 residents. The system reached a breaking point in 2019 when the boil water notices stretched into multiple months.
The water failures continued periodically when COVID was surging on the reservation, causing additional hardships for Warm Springs residents.
Repeated attempts to repair old pipes and pumps have had only moderate success. Federal laws passed in 2021 opened the door to funding for a new water treatment plant. A final cost for the plant has not been made official, but some estimate it could cost around $30 million. Around $11 million was spent last year on repairing the existing facility.
Danny Martinez, Warm Springs emergency manager, said the reservationwide water delivery system didn’t fail this summer. However, he said community members continue to make daily trips to the tribe’s emergency center, where each family is permitted to take home 4 gallons of water a day
He said many in the community don’t trust the water or do not like the smell and taste of the water coming from their taps.
“People still show up hourly,” said Martinez. “I don’t think it’s going to stop until people know it’s 100% safe to consume.”
Work in progress
Next up for the water treatment plant is the completion of its design, planned for the first half of next year.
The design of the new water treatment plant is now 30% complete, said Holliday. Indian Health Service, an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services, projects that a contract to build the facility will be awarded in June. The entire facility is expected to be finished by 2029, said Holliday.
Kimball said the water quality testing will help inform decisions made by the Warm Springs Tribal Council as it evaluates the design of a new water treatment facility. High-quality water with few or no contaminants will help lower the project’s costs, he said.
Holliday said the tribes are committed to meeting Environmental Protection Agency standards for clean water.
“Tribes have always held strong onto their traditions, culture and belief in all ecosystems and are on the forefront of these issues,” he said. “The tribes have always been stewards of the lands and will continue doing so.”
