Every morning, one of the first things I do is fill a massive glass with water straight from the sink. I've always thought Portland had really good tap water, but apparently I'm not the only one in my house who feels strongly about it.

My cat is obsessed with it. He'll sit in the bathroom and yell at me until I turn on the faucet so he can drink straight from the sink or bathtub, completely ignoring the very bougie cat water fountain I bought specifically for him

So I started wondering, why is our tap water actually so good?

The answer starts a lot farther from Portland than I expected. Our drinking water comes from Sebago Lake, but some of the water feeding that lake comes from as far away as Bethel, nearly 50 miles northwest. Which means a raindrop falling in Bethel could eventually end up coming out of your kitchen faucet.

We've actually been drinking water from Sebago Lake since Thanksgiving Day in 1869.

What I didn't realize is just how clean Sebago Lake actually is. Portland Water District draws around 24 million gallons from it every day, and unlike most places, we don't even need to filter it the conventional way. Of the roughly 13,000 lakes, rivers, and reservoirs used for drinking water across the country, only about 50 are clean enough to skip that step. The water is still treated and tested, of course, but conventional filtration isn't necessary.

And a big reason for that? Trees.

About 84% of the land surrounding Sebago and the rivers that feed it is covered in forest. When it rains or the snow melts, those forests help keep dirt and pollutants from washing into the lake. So in a way, the trees are doing some of the work a water treatment plant would normally have to do.

And those trees are saving us money, too. Because Sebago Lake is so clean, we haven't needed to build a conventional filtration plant. The EPA estimates that building one could cost around $150 million, plus the cost of operating it afterward.

Portland Water District actually helps pay to protect those forests. Since 2000, they've helped conserve thousands of acres of land around Sebago Lake and the rivers that feed it. There's also a group called Sebago Clean Waters working to protect more of that land, because keeping the forests healthy helps keep our drinking water clean.

They take protecting the lake pretty seriously, too. Since 1913, swimming has been prohibited within two miles of where Portland draws its drinking water from Sebago Lake. You can still boat in parts of that area, but jump in for a swim and you could face a fine of up to $2,500.

So one of the most important things keeping Portland's drinking water clean isn't some complicated piece of equipment. It's thousands of acres of Maine woods.

The water in my glass might have started as rain near Bethel, traveled through miles of Maine forest, made its way into Sebago Lake, passed through a treatment plant in Standish, and finally come out of my kitchen faucet.

Only to end up being screamed at by my cat.

Northern Maine has been watching the leaves change for weeks. Finally, it's Portland's turn.

The coast tends to lag behind the rest of the state because the ocean keeps temperatures a little warmer. While parts of northern Maine are already past peak, according to Maine's latest foliage report, Portland is hitting its peak this week.

Two of my favorite places to see the leaves change are Wolfe's Neck Woods in Freeport and Bradbury Mountain in Pownal. Wolfe's Neck has great trails along the water, and Bradbury has a relatively easy hike to the top with views of all the changing trees. If you want to stay in Portland, Evergreen Cemetery and the Western Prom are great spots, too.

The leaves seem to change overnight, and two weeks later they're all gone. Gotta enjoy it while we can.

🐶 Kaia – 4 yrs
77 pounds of sweetness. Kaia loves car rides, toys, and people. Just make sure there's room for her to snuggle when thunder rolls in.

🐱 Stephen – 7 yrs
Stephen (or Boo) loves food, birdwatching, and a good brushing. A little shy at first, but once he trusts you, he's all purrs.

If the link doesn’t open anymore, it means they’ve already been adopted!

Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band @ State Theatre | 7 pm | 🎟️ $25–$45

Champlain Film Festival: Colours of Time @ Portland Museum of Art | 5:30 pm | Free

Sneaky Miles w/ Jake Swamp & The Pine @ Portland House of Music | 8 pm | 🎟️ $20

Adega Pop-Up @ Lambs, South Portland | Sold Out ☹ |

Sylvan Esso @ State Theatre | 8 pm | 🎟️ $46

Howley (of We Banjo 3) @ One Longfellow Square | 8 pm | 🎟️ $30

Ripe @ Aura | 8 pm | 🎟️ $25

240 Strings: An Ode to Friendship @ Blossom ArtsLab | 7 pm | 🎟️ Pay What You Can

Pierogi Prince Pop-Up @ Local 188 | Free

Harvest on the Harbor: Maine Lobster Chef of the Year @ Maine Studio Works | 12:30 pm | 🎟️

BERTHA: Grateful Drag @ State Theatre | 8 pm | 🎟️ $26

James Montgomery @ One Longfellow Square | 8 pm | 🎟️ $30

Dan Tepfer @ Portland Conservatory of Music | 2 pm | 🎟️ $48

Toby McAllister & the Sierra Sounds w/ SKOSH & Megan From Work @ Live at Madrid's | 7 pm | 🎟️ $15

Festival Champlain Gala Reception @ PMA | 6 pm | 🎟️ $45

Pet Costume Parade @ Congress Square Park | 11 am | Free

Maine Tool Library Cider Pressing @ Maine Tool Library | 12 pm | Free

Harvest on the Harbor: Maine OysterFest @ Maine Studio Works | 1:30 pm & 3 pm | 🎟️ $

Jake Blount Band @ One Longfellow Square | 7 pm | 🎟️ $30

Lucas Zelnick @ State Theatre | 7 pm | 🎟️ $20

Halloween Drag Brunch @ Chaval | 10 am & 1:30 pm | 🎟️ $20

North Star Baroque Fall Concert @ Woodfords Congregational Church | 3 pm | 🎟️ $41

All Hallows' Market @ Congress Square Park | 11 am | Free

Frank and Laurie's Pop-Up Breakfast @ Luncheonette | 9am | Free

Until next week,
— Jake Newman