Customer Service: 503-823-7770
GENERAL INFORMATION: 503-823-7404
Water Quality
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Source Water Treatment Where Portland’s drinking water comes from and how the Portland Water Bureau treats your drinking water.
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Bacterial Monitoring How the Portland Water Bureau samples and tests for bacterial contamination.
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Unidirectional Flushing The flushing of water mains is part of the Water Bureau’s on-going water quality and system maintenance work.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Water Quality Answers to common water quality questions.
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Drinking Water Test Results & Reports Portland’s test results from over 11,000 water samples collected each year.
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Reducing Lead Exposure Information and resources to reduce exposure and hazards from lead in water.
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Cross Connection & Backflow Monitoring and maintenance of the drinking water distribution system to reduce risk of contamination.
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Developments in Water Quality Information about compounds that are not currently regulated.
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Drinking Water Quality at Home Learn more about water quality concerns that may happen in the home and what you can do about them.
We're moving! Find our updated water quality information on our new site.
Portland is fortunate to have two high-quality drinking water sources, the Bull Run Watershed and Columbia South Shore Well Field. The Portland Water Bureau works diligently to protect this essential resource and deliver drinking water to your tap that meets or surpasses all federal and state drinking water standards.
The Portland Water Bureau tests for more than 200 regulated and unregulated contaminants in our drinking water. We collect samples across the entire system, from source water at the Bull Run Watershed and Columbia South Shore Well Field, to in-town storage tanks, reservoirs, and main water lines, to customer taps. Water quality testing allows us to monitor the effectiveness of disinfection and treatment to meet regulations to protect public health.
The Portland Water Bureau is required to meet both federal and state water quality regulations. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for establishing federal standards through the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). The Oregon Heath Authority (OHA) is responsible for setting the state standards through the Oregon Drinking Water Quality Act. The Portland Water Bureau is required to comply with these regulations and must routinely report water quality test results to the EPA, OHA, and the public.
Questions about your water quality or water pressure?
Contact the Water Quality Line: 503-823-7525 or WBWaterLine@portlandoregon.gov (8:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday-Friday)
In this section you will find:
Information on Cryptosporidium
Find Cryptosporidium test results and information about treatment and risk reduction.
Reducing Lead Exposure
Information and resources to reduce exposure and hazards from lead in water.
Source Water Treatment
Where Portland's drinking water comes from and how the Portland Water Bureau treats your drinking water.
Test Results & Reports
Portland’s test results from over 11,000 water samples collected each year.
Drinking Water Quality at Home
Learn more about water quality concerns that may happen in the home and what you can do about them.
Hydrant Flushing
The flushing of water mains is part of the Water Bureau’s on-going water quality and system maintenance work.
Developments in Water Quality
Information about compounds that are not currently regulated.