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Background and Regulatory Overview

Oregon's drinking water source protection program assists public water systems and communities with protecting their sources of drinking water (streams, lakes and aquifers) from contamination. Drinking water protection is implemented in Oregon through a partnership of between DEQ and the Oregon Health Authority. The program addresses over 2,500 public water systems in Oregon. DEQ's role is to protect source water, which means protecting the sources of water, such as the rivers, streams, lakes, reservoirs, springs, and groundwater that provide water to public drinking water supplies and private wells.
 
Assuring safe drinking water depends on public water suppliers implementing multiple successful practices:
  • Protect the sources of drinking water. 
  • Practice effective water treatment
  • Monitor for contaminants to assure safety
  • Protect the distribution system piping and finished water storage from recontamination
  • Practice competent water system operation, maintenance, and construction
These practices are collectively called “multiple barrier public health protection". Source water protection is an important first step because starting with the best possible quality source water helps assure that water treatment can be effective at all times.
 
Source water is protected through effective state public health programs, environmental protection, land use policies, pro-active land stewardship, and by implementation of local drinking water protection efforts by communities and public water suppliers. The susceptibility of the public drinking water system source depends on both the natural conditions in the watershed as well as the human activities in the watershed. DEQ and OHA encourage community-based protection and preventive management.

DEQ's current activities

DEQ helps protect the quality of Oregon's drinking water by implementing the Clean Water Act to safeguard the rivers, streams, and aquifers that supply communities. While the Oregon Health Authority ensures drinking water meets Safe Drinking Water Act standards, DEQ focuses on protecting the sources themselves. Our annual report to EPA highlights this work and our coordination with partners to improve water quality for public and environmental health.

Regulatory overview

It is important to understand the regulatory context of water quality as it relates to drinking water source protection. We all depend on clean water. Many agencies implement different aspects of water quality regulations to protect public health and water resources in Oregon.

DEQ protects sources of drinking water, meaning the lakes, rivers, streams and groundwater from which water systems get public drinking water. Oregon Health Authority makes sure the water pulled from these locations is treated and tested so that it safe to drink. DEQ and OHA work together and with a number of other state agencies to ensure regulations align to protect drinking water.

​​​The Oregon Health Authority is the state agency responsible for the implementation of the federal Safe Drinking Water Act in Oregon. OHA administers and enforces drinking water quality standards through its Drinking Water Services program. State rules include requirements for systems to meet the Safe Drinking Water Act maximum contaminant levels, which are legal threshold limits on the amount of a substance that is allowed in drinking water which is delivered to the consumer. Water systems are also required to submit to periodic inspections and meet enforcement requirements as administered by OHA (reference Oregon Administrative Rules 333.061, 338.277, and 448.131 for more information). As the primacy agency responsible for implementing the Safe Drinking Water Act, OHA also approves drinking water treatment plans, sets construction and operator certification standards, and enforces rules to ensure safe drinking water. OHA assists systems in complying with standards by providing technical assistance and provides grants and loans to aid public water system operations.

Drinking water standards and health limits: The Oregon Health Authority Drinking Water Services administers and enforces drinking water quality standards for public water systems in the state of Oregon. OHA focuses resources in the areas of highest public health benefit and promotes voluntary compliance with state and federal drinking water standards.

Standards and treatment techniques that protect public health by limiting the levels of contaminants in drinking water:

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The Safe Drinking Water Act does not give OHA authority to prevent pollution to the sources of drinking water. The Clean Water Act gives that authority to DEQ as the agency responsible for addressing pollution affecting water quality upstream of drinking water intakes. Protecting water quality in source waters for public water systems requires implementation of federal Clean Water Act authorities and state law. The Surface Water Resource Guide provides more information on other DEQ water quality programs that intersect with drinking water source area planning and protection. Clean Water Act authorities apply to all state waters in Oregon, and DEQ works to achieve Clean Water Act goals by implementing a variety of programs. DEQ works with OHA to implement drinking water source protection work.

While DEQ has overall regulatory authority over the Clean Water Act, the state has delegated some industry-specific oversight to other agencies such as the Oregon Department of Forestry, Oregon Department of Agriculture, or Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries. For example, in agricultural areas, ODA is responsible for ensuring that agriculture practices meet state water quality standards. However, DEQ has the overall authority and responsibility to ensure state water quality standards are being met. A summary of agency rules and regulations regarding setbacks and buffers as well as pesticides can be found in these factsheets:

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Under Oregon state statutes (ORS 468B.005(10) and ORS 468B.015), groundwater, or underground waters, is clearly considered part of “waters of the state" protected for beneficial uses that include public water supplies. In addition, the Oregon Groundwater Quality Protection Act of 1989 (ORS 468B.150-190) sets a broad goal for the state of Oregon to prevent contamination of Oregon's groundwater resource, to conserve and restore this resource, and to maintain the high quality of this resource for present and future uses. The act established a policy that all state agencies' rules and programs are to be consistent with the goal of protecting drinking water resources and public health.

DEQ has primary responsibility for implementing groundwater quality protection in Oregon. DEQ coordinates groundwater quality protection with other state agencies which have overlapping responsibilities for regulation, involvement, or oversight. DEQ implements groundwater quality protection through a variety of programs and responsibilities that are designed to prevent groundwater contamination from point and non-point sources of pollution, to clean up pollution sources, and to monitor and assess groundwater quality.​

Additional resources


Community questions

​Most drinking water, particularly in urban areas, is obtained through public water systems that serve multiple homes or entire communities. These can be groundwater wells or surface water intakes (pipes drawing from streams and rivers). If a well or intake serves more than three homes or connections, it is regulated as a public water system in Oregon.

If you get a monthly water bill, the name and telephone number of your water system operator should be on the bill. Call this number for more information on the source of your drinking water. You can also access information on the water system using the Oregon Health Authority Drinking Water Services online database. (See “Drinking Water Data Online" and use the “Water System Search" feature to find your water system.)

If you're a renter and don't receive a water bill, call your landlord for the water system name. Other potential sources of information about your water include DEQ's interactive map viewer, your local county health department, your local Oregon Water Resources Department watermaster district office at 503-378-8455, or the OHA Drinking Water Program at 971-673-0405.

In rural areas, household drinking water commonly comes from private wells (or less commonly, through surface water intakes). If your water comes from a household well or intake (serving one to three households), it is considered a "private" or "domestic" water supply" in Oregon. If you get your water from a private well or intake, you're responsible for its maintenance, testing and operation. DEQ provides some limited information for private well owners and more is available from Oregon Health Authority's Domestic Well Safety Program.


Public water systems by law must sample and test for contamination on a regular basis and report the results to consumers. You can get the most recent "Consumer Confidence Report" for your water system from the water provider. Find the contact person for your water system and access the most recent test results on OHA's Drinking Water Services website. Click on "Data Online" and use the "Water System Search" to access system information.

Additional resources for understanding public water system regulations and treatment are on OHA's Drinking Water Services website. The “For Consumers" section has information on the possible health effects of drinking water with various chemicals, home treatment systems and consumer confidence reports.

For additional help in understanding public water system regulations and treatment, call OHA's Drinking Water Program at 971-673-0405.

Source Water Assessments are reports that provide data, maps, and technical information about the source of drinking water to each public water system. 

Maps of the groundwater and surface water drinking water source areas and potential contaminant sources identified within those drinking water source areas are also available in several other formats including an online interactive mapping tool and GIS data layers.​


Contact

For more information, email Drinkingwater.Protection@deq.oregon.gov