How Portland Is Sourcing Hydropower From Its Drinking Water

Portland, Oregon—known to some as “Bridge City”—has an intimate relationship with the water that flows beneath it. During hot summer months, residents cool off by floating down the Willamette River. Its iconic bronze drinking fountains (also known as Benson Bubblers) have been gushing with cool, clean water during daylight hours since 1912. And most recently, LucidEnergy—a Portland-based startup that launched in 2007—has discovered a way to use the city’s drinking water to generate electricity without any negative environmental impacts.