# 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:** 4
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-pees-in-reservoir-38-million-gallons-to-be-drained/686347/61 "2014-04-18T03:25:45Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > …It just seems so horrible to waste that amount of water when other states are hurting from drought. It’s not like they can just ship the water down to Southern California. ---
**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 18, 2014, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-pees-in-reservoir-38-million-gallons-to-be-drained/686347/62 "2014-04-18T03:34:32Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Jeez, 1895? Perhaps it’s time for an upgrade? And by “not treated before it goes into homes” you mean the water that’s already treated that sits in the open reservoir is not treated _again_ before it’s pumped into homes, correct? Correct, it is treated first, then pumped into the reservoirs, but there’s no further treatment between there and the faucet. Best not to think about it too much. In reality, it’s still better quality than a lot of groundwater supplies. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-pees-in-reservoir-38-million-gallons-to-be-drained/686347/63 "2014-04-18T03:39:45Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Why not issue a no drink policy for a couple days? People could use the water for laundry and commodes. So, they should forcibly close every business that relies on potable water? Why should restaurants have to close because the water department is afraid of cooties? > [@aceplace57](#): > > It just seems so horrible to waste that amount of water when other states are hurting from drought. It’s stupid and wasteful, but this isn’t really relevant. There isn’t a nationwide market for water. Portland just has a lot more water than other places, so it can afford to just throw a lot out because of superstition. It’s not _good_ but it’s not the horror that it would be in other places. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-pees-in-reservoir-38-million-gallons-to-be-drained/686347/64 "2014-04-18T04:01:54Z")
> [@Red\_Stilettos](#): > > The article states that **the reservoirs have signs that say “This is your drinking water. Don’t spit or throw anything into it.”** That just seems like asking for trouble. Our local utility tries to keep as much of their operation as possible under wraps specifically to lower the chance of this type of vandalism. Okay, where does it say not to pee in the water, huh? Does it _say_ that? HUH? Anyway, according to the article I saw (in HuffPo, IIRC), it’s going to cost them $35,000 to drain the pool, _sanitize_ it, and refill it. Yes, they are going to get out their on their hands and knees with scrub brushes and [del]fluorine[/del] Clorox (or whatever) and scrub it clean. The user comments following the article were largely along the same lines as here in this thread: What the BFD? It’s already full of bird crap, dead critters, dirt that falls in, whatever. WTF difference does a few drops of human pee matter? It does look like TPTB are responding largely to the public PR needs and the ick factor. The citations issued (traspassing and peeing in public) sound like minor things. Wonder if the water district is going to send the parents a bill for the $35000? ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-pees-in-reservoir-38-million-gallons-to-be-drained/686347/65 "2014-04-18T04:26:48Z")
Maybe they already drain and “sanitize” it on a regular basis, and this just means moving it up? ETA: [This](http://www.portlandonline.com/Fritz/index.cfm?a=409884&c=49205) (PDF!!1!) says that they drain the reservoirs to perform repairs every six months: > [@](#): > > Each time the bureau drains the open reservoirs, every 6 months or so, the bureau > patches and repairs. Severe joint failure is becoming more and more common. Cracking > and spalling (chunks breaking off), particularly in the wetted zones, is evident > everywhere. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-pees-in-reservoir-38-million-gallons-to-be-drained/686347/66 "2014-04-18T05:34:22Z")
> [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](#): > > The real danger is the PR disaster from letting folks drink one molecule of human pee. So the entire reservoir has become only one molecule away from human pee, right? > [@gigi](#): > > Probably knot, but it’s rooting for you to leaf it alone. Or branch out to other areas of the yard. Just don’t go out on a limb. And where are they draining the water TO??? Don’t the communities downstream have any say in this? Or will they have to drain their reservoir too? You know, down that slippery slope. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-pees-in-reservoir-38-million-gallons-to-be-drained/686347/67 "2014-04-18T05:41:42Z")
They could have just made Corona beer. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-pees-in-reservoir-38-million-gallons-to-be-drained/686347/68 "2014-04-18T07:02:07Z")
> [@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. If it’s a smaller body of water exposed to the elements then it still gets bird shit and every other environmental bit of ick. I’m going to cry fowl on this bit of logic. ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-pees-in-reservoir-38-million-gallons-to-be-drained/686347/69 "2014-04-18T07:47:58Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > And where are they draining the water TO??? Don’t the communities downstream have any say in this? Or will they have to drain their reservoir too? You know, down that slippery slope. Not to worry, [according to this](http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/04/17/water-reservoir-urination/7814581/) (caution: auto-play audio ad embedded in the article) the water will be dumped into the sewage system and run through the sewage treatment plant before it is released into the Columbia River. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-pees-in-reservoir-38-million-gallons-to-be-drained/686347/70 "2014-04-18T07:58:27Z")
The more I look into this, the more underwhelmed I become. In addition to the draining being a semiannual thing, this isn’t a huge amount of water compared to what the city deals with. The city delivers around a [80 million gallons a day in the winter and 120 million gallons a day in the summer.](http://www.portlandoregon.gov/water/article/428229) (PDF). On one day in 2009-2010 they put out 178 million gallons, or one of these reservoirs every five hours. It’s still stupid but it’s not the wanton waste I was imagining. ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-pees-in-reservoir-38-million-gallons-to-be-drained/686347/71 "2014-04-18T08:03:02Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > In addition to the draining being a semiannual thing, … [According to USA Today](http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/04/17/water-reservoir-urination/7814581/) (caution: auto-play audio ad), the spring semiannual draining had been performed just three weeks ago. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-pees-in-reservoir-38-million-gallons-to-be-drained/686347/72 "2014-04-18T09:33:24Z")
Well, that’s pretty stupid then. Did they at least let people pee into it then? Maybe if they had a free day twice a year it would cut down on this. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-pees-in-reservoir-38-million-gallons-to-be-drained/686347/73 "2014-04-18T10:07:34Z")
They do NOT want to know what boaters have been doing around the Chicago water system intakes for decades. ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-pees-in-reservoir-38-million-gallons-to-be-drained/686347/74 "2014-04-18T10:14:11Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > They do NOT want to know what boaters have been doing around the Chicago water system intakes for decades. But, to be fair, the water is treated after the intakes take it in. In the case of the reservoir, the water is not treated between the time it is placed in the reservoir and it is distributed to the residents of Portland. I’m not saying this wasn’t a stupid over-reaction. I’m just pointing out the difference. ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-pees-in-reservoir-38-million-gallons-to-be-drained/686347/75 "2014-04-18T15:18:28Z")
URINATION UPDATE! **“I didn’t piss in the fucking water,” Dallas Swonger said in an interview with Vocativ.** [Junior claims he peed “near” the water.](http://gawker.com/accused-portland-reservoir-teen-i-didn-t-piss-in-the-1564611565) And says what I suspected all along… _ **The teen also weighed in on the city’s decision to flush the 38 million gallons. “Yeah, it’s fucking retarded dude,” he said. “Like, how they can do that? How can they be like, ‘Yeah, we’re gonna flush all that water.’ Dude, I’ve seen dead birds in there. During the summer time I’ve see hella dead animals in there. Like dead squirrels and shit. I mean, really, dude?”** _ ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-pees-in-reservoir-38-million-gallons-to-be-drained/686347/76 "2014-04-18T16:04:39Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > Anyone care to speculate or guess how many times that reservoir has been peed in previously? > [@appleciders](#): > > They did this once last year, too. I’m having trouble coming up with a cite, because all my Googling just brings up this recent instance, but this is not a first for Portland. Yeah, but how many times have people done it without getting caught? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-pees-in-reservoir-38-million-gallons-to-be-drained/686347/77 "2014-04-18T16:27:55Z")
Cute article in Slate: [Here’s How Long That Teen Would Have to Pee in the Portland Reservoir to Make It Unsafe to Drink](http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2014/04/17/urine_in_portland_reservoir_how_dangerous_is_pee_in_drinking_water.html). Columnist estimates: would have to pee non-stop for 40+ days to contaminate water to EPA safety limits. Top comment by “Sudden and Impactful”: > [@](#): > > When drained, they should install a giant clapper valve, handle and float mechanism so the next time this happens the person using it can flush it himself. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-pees-in-reservoir-38-million-gallons-to-be-drained/686347/78 "2014-04-18T16:44:57Z")
> [@Alley\_Dweller](#): > > [According to USA Today](http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/04/17/water-reservoir-urination/7814581/) (caution: auto-play audio ad), the spring semiannual draining had been performed just three weeks ago. From that link: > [@](#): > > Water samples were taken from the reservoir later Wednesday, but test results won’t be available until Thursday. The **kidney-shaped** reservoir, built in 1911, holds 50 million gallons. 🙂 Nice one, USA Today. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-pees-in-reservoir-38-million-gallons-to-be-drained/686347/79 "2014-04-18T17:19:07Z")
> [@ducati](#): > > _ **The teen also weighed in on the city’s decision to flush the 38 million gallons. “Yeah, it’s fucking retarded dude,” he said. “Like, how they can do that? How can they be like, ‘Yeah, we’re gonna flush all that water.’ Dude, I’ve seen dead birds in there. During the summer time I’ve see hella dead animals in there. Like dead squirrels and shit. I mean, really, dude?”** _ Oh, this makes me sad. Yes, it has now been 20+ years since I lived in the area and I’ve spent most of that in the Bay Area, but it would me to my emotional core to see “hella” uttered north of Redding. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-pees-in-reservoir-38-million-gallons-to-be-drained/686347/80 "2014-04-18T19:27:28Z")
The idiotic debate over whether or not to cover the reservoirs has been going on for years. Nowadays it’s a cost issue, but there are still the “Friends of the Reservoirs” (how Portlandia can you get?) who, for some reason, see covering these as destroying something historic and beloved. :rolleyes: Portland’s tap water is very good, but I prefer mine without dead animal seasoning. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-pees-in-reservoir-38-million-gallons-to-be-drained/686347.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kid-pees-in-reservoir-38-million-gallons-to-be-drained/686347.md?page=5)