National Drinking Water Database
Oregon
845 systems serving 3,191,117 people
This drinking water quality report shows results of tests conducted by water utilities in Oregon, provided to the Environmental Working Group (EWG) by the Oregon Department of Human Resources. It is part of EWG's national database that includes 47,667 drinking water utilities and 20 million test results from 45 states and the District of Columbia. Water utilities nationwide detected more than 300 pollutants between 2004 and 2009. More than half of these chemicals are unregulated, legal in any amount. Despite this widespread contamination, the federal government invests few resources in protecting rivers, reservoirs, and groundwater from pollution in the first place. The information below summarizes drinking water quality for this state.
Chemicals |
Water Utilities |
Population Served |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Detected Chemicals | 57 |
845 |
3,171,607 |
Exceed health guidelines* | 29 |
666 |
3,112,403 |
Exceed Legal Limits* | 10 |
104 |
436,590 |
Unregulated chemicals detected | 0 |
0 |
0 |
| * Water utilities are noted as exceeding the legal limit if any test is above the maximum contaminant level (MCL). Most MCLs are based on annual averages so exceeding the MCL for one test does not necessarily indicate that the system is out of compliance. | |||
29 Contaminants Exceeding Health Based Limits
Contaminants detected in Oregon drinking water above health guidelines, according to an Environmental Working Group analysis of data obtained from state water authorities
| Contaminant | Population |
Number of Systems |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| At Any Level | Above Health Limits | At Any Level | Above Health Limits | |
| Total haloacetic acids (HAAs) | 2,857,494 | 2,837,289 | 357 | 352 |
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) | 2,928,791 | 2,718,427 | 427 | 278 |
| Arsenic (total) | 1,371,971 | 1,371,971 | 350 | 350 |
| Combined Radium (-226 & -228) | 1,046,550 | 1,046,550 | 46 | 46 |
| Lead (total) | 851,798 | 851,798 | 30 | 30 |
| Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate | 691,677 | 691,677 | 28 | 28 |
| Alpha particle activity (excl radon and uranium) | 344,307 | 344,307 | 70 | 70 |
| Bromodichloromethane | 242,280 | 242,280 | 14 | 14 |
| Chloroform | 242,310 | 224,850 | 15 | 12 |
| Thallium (total) | 169,962 | 169,962 | 1 | 1 |
Water Utilities in Oregon Reporting Chemicals Exceeding Health Guidelines
Water utilities in Oregon reporting chemicals exceeding health guidelines, according to an Environmental Working Group analysis of data obtained from state water authorities, include:
| System | Population |
Chemicals tested |
Chemicals found |
Chemicals exceeding health guidelines |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Irrigon | 1,740 | 69 | 8 | 7 |
| City of Florence | 8,000 | 69 | 7 | 7 |
| Eugene Water & Electric Board | 169,962 | 105 | 12 | 7 |
| Hat Rock Water Company | 80 | 69 | 9 | 6 |
| City of Wilsonville | 15,880 | 87 | 12 | 6 |
| Prairie City | 1,045 | 102 | 9 | 6 |
| Portland Water Bureau | 539,200 | 72 | 15 | 6 |
| Medford Water Commission | 83,454 | 69 | 9 | 6 |
| City of Coquille | 4,205 | 58 | 7 | 6 |
| Bend Water Department | 52,320 | 69 | 10 | 6 |
| Bear Creek Mobile Home Park | 120 | 67 | 9 | 6 |
| Clayton Creek MH Estates | 130 | 68 | 8 | 6 |
| Avion WC - Brasada Ranch | 25 | 67 | 11 | 5 |
| City of Vale | 1,997 | 67 | 11 | 5 |
| City of Sherwood | 16,200 | 69 | 8 | 5 |
| Seaside Water Department | 6,000 | 59 | 7 | 5 |
| Rufus Public Works | 250 | 69 | 6 | 5 |
| Sunrise Water Authority | 40,000 | 70 | 7 | 5 |
| Cobblestone Mhp | 60 | 57 | 6 | 5 |
| City of Hermiston | 15,410 | 72 | 8 | 5 |
Sources of Oregon Drinking Water Contaminants
The contaminants identified in Oregon drinking water come from a wide variety of sources, including agriculture, industry, water treatment plants, and polluted storm runoff from urban areas.
Testing Summary for Oregon
The federal government has set standards for some of the pollutants found in tap water supplies.
| Contaminants reported as tested by water suppliers in Oregon | 132 | |
| Contaminants tested due to federal law: | 92 | |
| Contaminants tested in addition to those required by federal law: | 40 | |
Violation Summary for Oregon
Data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency includes the following violations of federal standards in Oregon since 2004
| Violation Type | Number of Violations |
|---|---|
| Failure to monitor regularly | 10,338 |
| Failure to monitor, Routine Major (Coliform bacteria) | 1,535 |
| Maximum contaminant level, Monthly (Coliform bacteria) | 466 |
| Monitoring and Reporting Disinfection Byproduct Rule | 405 |
| Failure to monitor, Routine Minor (Coliform bacteria) | 357 |
| Follow-up and Routine Tap Sampling | 254 |
| Inadequate reporting of information to the public | 175 |
| Failure to report information to the public or state agency in the Consumer Confidence Report | 168 |
| Failure to monitor, Repeat Major (Coliform bacteria) | 163 |
| Over maximum contaminant level, Average | 58 |
| Maximum contaminant level, Acute (Coliform bacteria) | 40 |
| Failure to monitor, Repeat Minor (Coliform bacteria) | 36 |
| Treatment Technique (Surface Water Treatment Rule) | 34 |
| Over maximum contaminant level, Single Sample | 22 |
| Failure to monitor or report, Routine/Repeat (Indicators of microbial or virus contamination) | 19 |
| Excess Turbidity at 0.3 NTU | 14 |
| Filter Turbidity Reporting | 8 |
| Initial Tap Sampling for Lead and Copper | 3 |
| Failure to Filter (Surface Water Treatment Rule) | 3 |