S09. Water, sewer and solid waste services are not expected to be affected significantly.

These services are critical to the health of Portland’s citizens. However, the impacts of peak oil on these services would be minimal. Portland’s water system is primarily gravity fed, and most of the energy used in the water and sewer systems is electricity. To the extent that water and sewer services require energy to continue operation, they are anticipated to be given priority. Rates may rise slightly as a result of higher energy prices, but probably not dramatically.

Solid waste pickup depends primarily on diesel for its trucks, so would be more at risk than water and sewer. However, as with water and sewer, solid waste pickup is assumed to be a priority if resources become limited. It is also possible that solid waste may be reduced post-peak as packaging is reduced and people use less, make more efficient use of scarce resources, and recycle or compost more.