Department of Environmental Quality : About Drinking Water Protection : Water Quality Programs : State of Oregon

Oregon’s drinking water 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 DEQ and the Oregon Health Authority. The program addresses over 2500 public water systems in Oregon. 
 

Assuring safe drinking water depends on public water suppliers implementing multiple successful practices:

• Protect the drinking water source
• Practice effective water treatment
• Conduct regular monitoring 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 protection is accomplished by 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 anthropogenic activities in the watershed. DEQ and OHA encourage community-based protection and preventive management.

Visit our Drinking Water Program Contacts page.