Wastewater is all the “used” water that flows out of your kitchen sink, dishwasher, toilet, bathtub, shower, washing machine, or any drain in your home or business. This water can carry with it lots of different things depending on what you’ve used it for, like shampoo from the shower, laundry soap from washing your clothes, tiny bits of food from washing your dishes, and of course, the stuff that goes down the toilet.

Wastewater treatment is vital for maintaining public health, protecting the environment, supporting the local economy, and ensuring long-term sustainability. It benefits the community by promoting a healthier, cleaner, and more resilient living environment.

This metric tracks the annual flows received by the two wastewater treatment facilities serving Portland’s communities. This shows how much water, both wastewater and stormwater, is treated and sent back into our community. Flows vary year over year primarily due to weather patterns, though sanitary flows decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Flow meters at the beginning of the wastewater treatment process (influent) and end point (effluent) track flows entering and leaving the system.

You can read more about this work at the Wastewater Treatment Process webpage.