Portland's Water

Portland's Water: History and Challenges. Water is life. Imagine, just for a moment, a world without your tap water. Picture Portland after seven days of empty taps and dry fountains—households struggling, communities in crisis, and daily life at a standstill.
The Portland Water Bureau (PWB) ensures this does not happen by providing safe, clean water to all of our taps 24/7. Join our class for an exclusive tour of the pristine Bull Run watershed and learn from PWB's water infrastructure experts.
We’ll explore every aspect of the drinking water system: from watershed protection to maintaining the 2200 miles of pipes beneath our streets; leveraging GIS technology to navigating water finance. Discover how PWB ensures water quality, undertakes major engineering projects, and prepares for emergencies, including earthquakes.
Water touches everyone in Portland, and the PWB needs your innovative ideas to help reach all of our communities, especially immigrant and low-income residents. Together, we can build a stronger, more resilient and inclusive city and your involvement can make a real difference. Help PSU serve the city.

Course Objectives:

• The ability to do research, writing, and presentation in written and visual formats.

• The ability to understand the historical record, written or visual, as integral to understanding social inquiry in general, with an emphasis on issues of public history.

• To have hands-on experience with creating an informative exhibit and  to enhance students' facility and confidence with written and oral communication.

• The ability to work collaboratively, with an emphasis on making interdisciplinary connections in your various assignments and projects.

• To develop a meaningful public program for the community partner.

• To facilitate students' building of healthy and functional relationships around both differences and likenesses experienced within the classroom community and with the community partner's constituencies.