About the well-tour

Getting back to last Saturday, the tour was put on by the Columbia Watershed Council and the Portland Water Bureau. We cycled around to various parts of Portland’s well-water system. People from the water bureau explained everything. Unfortunately I didn’t retain all that much of it because it’s all new information to me. Not to sound like a dope, but in order to absorb information, there has to be something in your brain to stick it to, or it falls right back out. And before this field trip there was almost nothing in my brain on that topic.

Besides, my powers of retention are cut to about 25% when I’m freezing and sopping wet. But though it poured the entire time, only a few people defected. Just when my friend Jennifer and I were about to abandon ship, we learned that making our own way back to the transit center would take just as long as if we stayed with the group. So we stuck it out.

Call me ignorant, but I thought well usage had to do with people too far out in the boonies to be reached by the city water system. Now I learn that the whole city’s on wells – gigantic super-deep specially engineered wells that are really complicated. These ain’t no hole-in-the-ground with a bucket-on-a-rope kinda thing. I’m impressed. And I’m glad there are people out there who know how to make water drinkable because it definitely wouldn’t be my forte.

I’m signed up in advance for the re-run when they have one. Now that I’ve got something in my brain to stick it to, I should learn a lot more second time around. I think that Bull Run Watershed is our main source of water, but we have this elaborate well system for when the Bull Run water is low. Don't quote me.

Here are some pictures of all these loony Oregonians standing around getting drenched. I think there were about 20 of us.Who knew wells could look like this?

They had maps, they had charts, they had diagrams; and they forged ahead and proceded as if the sky were not falling.