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Reservoir drained due to urine
upi ^ | June 16, 2011

Posted on 06/17/2011 9:00:48 AM PDT by JoeProBono

PORTLAND, Ore.- The head of the Portland Water Bureau said he decided to drain 7.8 million gallons of drinking water from an Oregon reservoir after a man urinated in it.

David Shaff, administrator of the bureau, said he decided to have the water drained after security cameras recorded a 21-year-old man, Joshua Seater of Molalla, urinating Wednesday into the Mount Tabor reservoir, which supplies drinking water to much of Portland, Portland cable news network NWCN reported Thursday.

"I had a pleasant buzz and I should have known better," NWCN quoted Seater as saying. "It was a split second thing and as soon as I was done I was like, 'Oh man' and I saw the police officer show up I knew exactly what they're here for."

Dave Stone, an assistant professor of toxicology at Oregon State University, said urine is generally sterile and would not pose any risks to those who drank the contaminated water, The Oregonian reported.

"It's inappropriate behavior. But how many animals are doing that or birds?" he said. "I don't want to second-guess the city, but I can't think of anything chemically that would have me be concerned."

However, officials said they are also concerned about unidentified objects Seater and four other people were taped dropping into the open reservoir.

Officials said the cleaning process is likely to take several days, but service to residents should not be affected.

NWCN reported the water is treated prior to entering the city's reservoirs.

"The water is chlorinated, but its chlorinated before the reservoirs so the water in the reservoirs is the water that you drink," city Commissioner Randy Leonard said.

Seater could face misdemeanor charges and fines, police said.

"I wouldn't mind paying for it, but I don't have a job right now," he told NWCN. "I'm willing to do community service to clean up the place because I feel bad and feel pretty stupid."


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To: JoeProBono

UH. MUH. GUH.


21 posted on 06/17/2011 9:23:07 AM PDT by Miss Behave ("It's not going to happen." ~Bibi The Badass)
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To: JoeProBono

I see stupid bureaucrats.


22 posted on 06/17/2011 9:24:30 AM PDT by listenhillary (Social Justice is the epitome of injustice.)
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To: JoeProBono
"The water is chlorinated, but its chlorinated before the reservoirs so the water in the reservoirs is the water that you drink," city Commissioner Randy Leonard said.

Why would they do that? And then to drain 7.8 million gallons? Unbelievable waste.

23 posted on 06/17/2011 9:24:52 AM PDT by proud American in Canada (To paraphrase Sarah Palin: "I love when the liberals get all wee-wee'd up.")
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To: ErnBatavia

“We don’t swim in your toilet, so please don’t pee in our pool”
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
What no “Designated Pee Section in your pool”?

My first trip into Thailand in 1959 was an experience to behold while transiting the river to Bangkok.
Beside being in the middle of the river and churning mud, on either bank were people observed: “Peeing, crapping, washing clothes, drinking, bathing, swimming, animals romping, cooling off etc etc” with the water being a sickening brackish color.
The activities going on were in no particular order but quite the scene....


24 posted on 06/17/2011 9:25:45 AM PDT by xrmusn ((6/98) Time to clean House (and Senate) again. Incumbents begone!!)
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To: JoeProBono

Wait until he gets the bill for 7.8M gallons.


25 posted on 06/17/2011 9:26:43 AM PDT by NonValueAdded (From her lips to the voters' ears: Debbie Wasserman Schultz: ‘We own the economy’ June 15, 2011)
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To: JoeProBono

i dont even want to think about what the fish are doing in there


26 posted on 06/17/2011 9:27:30 AM PDT by turdhopper
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To: joe fonebone
lemme guess...this guys IQ almost makes it into the double digits...

And yet, he's head of the Portland Water Bureau

27 posted on 06/17/2011 9:27:58 AM PDT by Oztrich Boy (Monarchy is the one system of government where power is exercised for the good of all - Aristotle)
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To: BigFinn
Portland stores its treated drinking water at five historic open reservoirs, including this one at Mount Tabor Park. Health officials say the open-air reservoirs are risky, but reservoir supporters say there's little proof of that

28 posted on 06/17/2011 9:28:12 AM PDT by JoeProBono (A closed mouth gathers no feet)
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To: JoeProBono

If the inebriate added 1 pint to the reservoir, you’re looking at a concentration of approximately 0.0021 parts per million. Hardly what a prudent person would call contaminated.
I think Mr. Schaff must have been the one less in control of his faculties. Simply insane, but good enuf for government work, I suppose.


29 posted on 06/17/2011 9:43:44 AM PDT by ForMyChildren (Irrigation help appreciated)
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To: posterchild

“The solution to pollution is dilution.”

Correct. They don’t even worry about terrorists poisoning water supplies because the amount of poison required would be so large, due to dilution. A little pee would have no effect.


30 posted on 06/17/2011 9:45:20 AM PDT by faucetman (Just the facts ma'am, just the facts)
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To: arderkrag

There are probably pounds of bird turds dropped in there every day.


31 posted on 06/17/2011 9:46:55 AM PDT by AU72
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To: JoeProBono

WOW!!! Only a Misdemeanor for ruining 7.8 million gallons of drinking water. Our City’s water facilities have a sign on them that says that tampering with those (Water) facilities is prosecutable as a Federal offense.


32 posted on 06/17/2011 9:47:29 AM PDT by NV Lawdog (In God I trust; Everybody else keep your hands where I can see them!)
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To: JoeProBono

This whole society seems to be run by paranoid ‘60s and ‘70s drug cases dropped into government jobs.


33 posted on 06/17/2011 9:49:40 AM PDT by JennysCool (My hypocrisy goes only so far)
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To: JoeProBono

Urine is pretty much sterile. An extreme case of wasting money if that was the only reason why the reservoir was drained.

Better check some bank accounts on this one.


34 posted on 06/17/2011 9:54:29 AM PDT by rollo tomasi (Working hard to pay for deadbeats and corrupt politicians)
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To: JoeProBono
“I never drink water because of the disgusting things that fish do in it.”

W.C. Fields

35 posted on 06/17/2011 10:01:32 AM PDT by SWAMPSNIPER (The Second Amendment, a matter of fact, not a matter of opinion)
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To: SWAMPSNIPER

36 posted on 06/17/2011 10:07:39 AM PDT by JoeProBono (A closed mouth gathers no feet)
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To: JoeProBono

“We don’t swim in your toilet so please don’t pee in our pool.”


37 posted on 06/17/2011 10:09:56 AM PDT by Razzz42
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To: from occupied ga
There are probably geese and ducks doing their thing in the water anyway.

I think the director is working on some signs for the ducks and geese telling them not to urinate or defecate in the water.

At least that would be the solution of typical Oregon bureaucrats after months of committee meetings and wasting millions of taxpayer dollars.

Oregon is a beautiful state run by complete morons. (Washington State is too.)

38 posted on 06/17/2011 10:14:57 AM PDT by CommerceComet (Governor Romney, why would any conservative vote for the author of the beta version of ObamaCare?)
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To: Georgia Girl 2
They put enough chlorine in the water to cure cancer.

Actually, they put enough chlorine in the water to cause cancer. Approximately 9% of bladder cancer cases and 15% of rectal cancer cases in the United States can be linked to drinking chlorinated water. Google "trihalomethanes drinking water".

39 posted on 06/17/2011 10:22:46 AM PDT by mulebones
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To: JoeProBono

I have spoke to lifeguards about some of this kinda stuff.
At one outdoor pool i have been to, some baby pooped in the
pool. They closed and drained the pool..OK fair enough...
But when I asked them about it , they said that there always
is a bit of fecal matter in the pool, cause everyone loses
a bit here and there...not to mention saliva/sweat/skin cells/
urine....so imagine a reservoir with birds,fish,worms, insects
pooping, peeing, oh my goodness, copulating nearby...
I just think the guy had to do it, cause otherwise he would
have to admit to all of the other stuff they let get into
it and don’t worry about....


40 posted on 06/17/2011 10:35:57 AM PDT by Getready (Wisdom is more valuable than gold and diamonds, and harder to find.)
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