Portland looking to improve water resources, infrastructure

September 2020

As the city continues to grow, Portland officials are looking into how to best utilize available water resources and improve infrastructure to accommodate an increased population.

A lengthy discussion was held on the matter during the Aug. 17 city council meeting.

Currently, Portland draws the majority of its water from the West Ford of Drakes Creek. Utilities Director Bryan Price said that he estimated the city currently uses anywhere from 2 million to 2.5 million gallons per day.

“Our system’s growing, but a lot of that growth is in the planning region area and the Oak Grove area,” Price added during the Aug. 17 meeting. “One of the issues we’re having is some undersized piping, which makes it different to service the Oak Grove area.”