Saturday morning drivers cutting through Northeast Portland’s Lloyd District got an unexpected detour when a water main break sent a shallow river rushing down NE Multnomah Street, flooding both directions for nearly three blocks and clogging traffic. Residents and small businesses nearby reported outages and murky tap water while city crews hustled in to track down the source of the leak. Lanes were shut, barricades went up, and detours quickly followed as repair work got underway.
The Portland Water Bureau said the failure involved a 16-inch cast-iron main installed in 1957, and that the surge of water spread across nearly three blocks, leaving some homes and businesses without service, according to KOIN. Among the spots feeling the impact were the Lloyd Center mall and the Regal Lloyd Cinemas, where service interruptions and discolored water were reported. Crews were on scene early Saturday trying to shut down the flow and pinpoint the exact break, and officials told reporters they did not yet know how long full repairs would take.
What the Water Bureau advises
The Portland Water Bureau says discolored water is usually sediment that gets stirred up when the system is disrupted, and that flushing crews are sent out to push fresh water through affected lines, as outlined by the Portland Water Bureau. The agency runs a Water Quality Line at 503-823-7525 for questions and posts troubleshooting tips online, including advice to use bottled or emergency water for drinking until taps run clear. Past bureau responses note that it can take hours, and sometimes days, to fully clear a large distribution area while crews systematically flush the mains.
Traffic and businesses hit
The street flooding covered both directions of NE Multnomah Street and prompted the city to throw up detours and urge travelers to steer clear of the area while repairs continued, according to KOIN. That left commuters and would-be customers snaking around the Lloyd District during a busy weekend window. City crews and traffic control teams stayed on the ground directing drivers and keeping the work zone protected.
What to do if your water looks strange
If your tap water comes out yellow or brown, the Water Bureau recommends switching to bottled water or your emergency stash for drinking and cooking until things run clear again, following the bureau’s guidance. Filters can be used for non-drinking purposes, and running taps for a while can help speed up the clearing process. The city can issue precautionary boil notices to properties that temporarily lose service, and anyone with questions is encouraged to call the Water Quality Line at 503-823-7525 for the latest direction. The bureau’s web pages outline step-by-step tips on dealing with discolored water and explain when a boil advisory might be needed.
Bigger picture: aging pipes and long-term fixes
The break highlights the ongoing problem of aging water pipes at a time when the city is trying to juggle immediate repairs with big-ticket upgrades. Portland is pushing ahead with a multibillion-dollar filtration and infrastructure program, and the price for the Bull Run filtration project recently climbed to about $2.56 billion because of inflation and delays, according to OPB. Water bureau officials say crews routinely replace or reline older cast-iron mains as money and schedules allow, but note that occasional breaks are still a reality in such a large, decades-old system.
Crews remained on site into the afternoon working to isolate the damaged pipe and reopen the street. City and bureau officials are expected to release more updates as repairs move forward, and residents in the area are urged to keep an eye on local news outlets and the Portland Water Bureau for the latest information.
