# Kid pees in reservoir; 38 million gallons to be drained **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 17, 2014, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-pees-in-reservoir-38-million-gallons-to-be-drained/686347 "2014-04-17T15:39:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-pees-in-reservoir-38-million-gallons-to-be-drained/686347/21 "2014-04-17T17:10:54Z")
But…it’s Portland? It rains a lot, yes? It’ll probably recharge in no time. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-pees-in-reservoir-38-million-gallons-to-be-drained/686347/22 "2014-04-17T17:15:26Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > But…it’s Portland? It rains a lot, yes? It’ll probably recharge in no time. Again, the Resevoir holds treated water. It isn’t made to collect appreciable amounts of rainwater. The wiki article on Mount Tabor has some details on the system. But basically, the cost of occasionally draining one of the pools when something the public might find icky happens is four orders of magnitude smaller then rebuilding the system to have covered tanks. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-pees-in-reservoir-38-million-gallons-to-be-drained/686347/23 "2014-04-17T17:17:46Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Again, the Resevoir holds treated water. It isn’t made to collect appreciable amounts of rainwater. > > The wiki article on Mount Tabor has some details on the system. But basically, the cost of occasionally draining one of the pools when something the public might find icky happens is four orders of magnitude smaller then rebuilding the system to have covered tanks. Oooooh, my mystake. I thought it was UNtreated water with gull shit in it…not PREtreated water with gull shit in it. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Quatro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bc8723/32.png) [@Mr\_Quatro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Quatro)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-pees-in-reservoir-38-million-gallons-to-be-drained/686347/24 "2014-04-17T17:19:43Z")
Now I feel sorry for that poor tree out behind my house that I pee behind. Is it going to die? ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-pees-in-reservoir-38-million-gallons-to-be-drained/686347/25 "2014-04-17T17:28:18Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > In the [earlier case](http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/06/16/portland-draining-reservoir-after-man-urinates-in-it/), the water was apparently already treated, and waiting to be pumped directly into peoples houses. I assume the same is true in this case. Its not the type of resevoir the OP is picturing, that is, a storage for water _before its treated_. > > Does seem kind of odd that Portland doesn’t keep water in tanks or underground after treating. The City of Portland was ordered to cover its reservoirs several years ago and has been fighting, and losing, in court for years too. They finally ran out of legal options last June and are reluctantly moving forward with plans to cover them. They will now get around to it, eventually, by the end of 2020, maybe. [http://www.portlandoregon.gov/WATER/article/330807](http://www.portlandoregon.gov/WATER/article/330807) ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@MonkeyMensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMensch)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-pees-in-reservoir-38-million-gallons-to-be-drained/686347/26 "2014-04-17T17:30:20Z")
A quick peek at some stats shows that the water dumped was only about 18 hours of fresh water usage for Portland (actually Multnomah County.) So in the big scheme of things it’s kind of a tempest in a peapot. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-pees-in-reservoir-38-million-gallons-to-be-drained/686347/27 "2014-04-17T17:32:35Z")
The articles I found said that the offender is nineteen years old, so not really a “kid.” ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-pees-in-reservoir-38-million-gallons-to-be-drained/686347/28 "2014-04-17T17:53:50Z")
In a completely [unscientific poll](http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2014/04/should_the_city_flush_38_milli.html), the vast majority of people think it is unnecessary to dump the water. Currently only 10% say it’s “gross”. So don’t blame us regular Portlanders for going all portlandia somehow. We’ve also had a really wet couple of months and our main watershed reservoir is pretty much full, so it’s not a big deal to dump this water. > [@](#): > > The city has plenty of extra water, Shaff said. “If we were in southern California where there is a severe drought… I would probably make a different decision.” As for the bird poop argument, they say that bird poop is unavoidable, but human pee is. Kind of a pointless distinction, but there it is. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-pees-in-reservoir-38-million-gallons-to-be-drained/686347/29 "2014-04-17T18:00:56Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > … the water company can probably tell its customers that “like cures like,” … Then they’d be concerned that if people drink it, they’ll be really pissed. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-pees-in-reservoir-38-million-gallons-to-be-drained/686347/30 "2014-04-17T18:10:39Z")
They could put it in a tanker and sell it in southern California. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-pees-in-reservoir-38-million-gallons-to-be-drained/686347/31 "2014-04-17T18:28:27Z")
The Portland media merely reads press releases. They don’t do investigative reporting. If they did, perhaps they need to ask those Water Bureau employees down in the trenches about the leaking water pipes and leaking sewer pipes exchanging molecules. ---
**Author:** ![Blakeyrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blakeyrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blakeyrat)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-pees-in-reservoir-38-million-gallons-to-be-drained/686347/32 "2014-04-17T18:32:18Z")
> [@ducati](#): > > No, I don’t to drink your pee, and yes there should be a fence to keep people from contaminating drinking water, but what is the real danger from this incident? There was a fence. The kids climbed over it to get to the water. ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-pees-in-reservoir-38-million-gallons-to-be-drained/686347/33 "2014-04-17T18:41:05Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > But…it’s Portland? It rains a lot, yes? It’ll probably recharge in no time. Also lots of great beer, so the pee should be replenished soon as well. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-pees-in-reservoir-38-million-gallons-to-be-drained/686347/34 "2014-04-17T18:43:19Z")
> [@Mr\_Quatro](#): > > Now I feel sorry for that poor tree out behind my house that I pee behind. > > Is it going to die? Probably knot, but it’s rooting for you to leaf it alone. Or branch out to other areas of the yard. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-pees-in-reservoir-38-million-gallons-to-be-drained/686347/35 "2014-04-17T18:44:06Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > Probably knot, but it’s rooting for you to leaf it alone. Or branch out to other areas of the yard. You guys think urea funny, don’t you. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-pees-in-reservoir-38-million-gallons-to-be-drained/686347/36 "2014-04-17T18:54:18Z")
Anyone care to speculate or guess how many times that reservoir has been peed in previously? ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-pees-in-reservoir-38-million-gallons-to-be-drained/686347/37 "2014-04-17T19:01:11Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > Any possibility Portland just _told_ people they’re flushing away 38 million gallons of water to make them feel better about kids peeing in the reservoir? That’s what I’d do. “Why, don’t worry Mr. Smith, we’ll drain & refill the reservoir tonight, while you’re sleeping. By tomorrow morning there won’t be a single molecule of urine left.” :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-pees-in-reservoir-38-million-gallons-to-be-drained/686347/38 "2014-04-17T19:12:35Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > Any possibility Portland just _told_ people they’re flushing away 38 million gallons of water to make them feel better about kids peeing in the reservoir? I was wondering the same thing. “So when are you going to flush this reservoir and refill it with new water?” “We did it last night.” “Really? You drained the entire reservoir and refilled it in a single night? And you expect me to believe that?” “You have a choice of what you want to believe. You can believe we drained out all the water last night and replaced it with new water. Or you can spend the next few months believing there’s piss in your drinking water.” “I see…so I guess you must have some high tech draining system that’s down there where I can’t see it, huh?” “Sure, why not.” ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-pees-in-reservoir-38-million-gallons-to-be-drained/686347/39 "2014-04-17T19:13:20Z")
They should rename the city Ortland. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-pees-in-reservoir-38-million-gallons-to-be-drained/686347/40 "2014-04-17T19:14:22Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > They should rename the city Ortland. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-pees-in-reservoir-38-million-gallons-to-be-drained/686347.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-pees-in-reservoir-38-million-gallons-to-be-drained/686347.md?page=3)