HoppyDaze
Well-Known Member
PORTLAND, Ore. -- As the Oregon Brewers Festival celebrates 22 years, Portland's brewing community is finding it hard to swallow what may happen to their number one ingredient, water.
While long lines of beer lovers headed to the waterfront Thursday afternoon, some of Portland's biggest beer makers were trying to make sense of the federal governments mandate to filter the Bull Run Watershed, Portlands main water source.
"We have wonderful composition water -- the way it comes to us is perfect," said Kurt Widmer, co-founder of Widmer Brothers Brewing.
He wonders why on earth anyone would want to tamper with perfection.
Brewmaster Karl Ockert with Bridgeport Ales wonders how a change will affect flavor.
"It might jeopardize the delivery and the performance of the water," Ockert speculated.
But, according to the city, it has no choice.
A filtration system must be in place by April 1, 2014.
The Environmental Protection Agency mandate applies to all cities with open water systems and stems from a widespread breakout of cryptosporidium in Milwaukee, Wisc. in the spring of 1993.
New filtration will better protect cities and their residents, according to the EPA.
Two designs are currently being discussed. Ultraviolet filtration would only block cryptosporidium and little else.
"It wastes taxpayer money because it treats for a virus everybody agrees we do not have nor have the possibility of having," said Portland City Commissioner Randy Leonard.
He and the water department were leaning toward a sand filtration system, which some believe will offer better protection and more consistent quality year round.
Meanwhile, the city continued to lobby the EPA for a waiver.
Portland must still prepare to meet the deadline should the government deny an exception, though, and either system will take at least five years to construct.
Brewers think any changes to Portlands water are unacceptable.
"We've got this water systems that's worked perfect 110 years. Why screw that up?" Widmer said.
Not sure that I really like this development. Anyone have an opinion on this? It may affect a lot of the more popular beer coming out of Portland; which is a big deal