Is Welches, OR Tap Water Safe? Quality & Contaminants

What was found in Welches's water

The level at the city's main supplier, the highest level anywhere in the city, the EPA limit for each, and where every figure comes from.

Contaminant	Level vs EPA limit	Suppliers	Source
Copper	1328.5 µg/L 102% of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 1300 µg/L Main supplier: SALMON VALLEY WATER COMPANY · 1,500 people · 2018	3/3	SYR4
Nitrate	294.35 µg/L 2.9% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Main supplier: SALMON VALLEY WATER COMPANY · 1,500 people · 2019	2/3	SYR4
Nitrate-Nitrite	288.95 µg/L 2.9% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Main supplier: SALMON VALLEY WATER COMPANY · 1,500 people · 2019	1/3	SYR4
Fluoride	171 µg/L 4.3% of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L Highest in the city: NORTH BRIGHTWOOD IMPROV ASSN · 50 people · 2013	1/3	SYR4
TTHM	8.355 µg/L 10% of the EPA limit 80 µg/L Highest in the city: NORTH BRIGHTWOOD IMPROV ASSN · 50 people · 2019	2/3	SYR4
Lead	7.975 µg/L 53% of the EPA limit 15 µg/L Main supplier: SALMON VALLEY WATER COMPANY · 1,500 people · 2018	3/3	SYR4
Arsenic	0.7242 µg/L 7.2% of the EPA limit 10 µg/L Main supplier: SALMON VALLEY WATER COMPANY · 1,500 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 3.27755 µg/L — NORTH BRIGHTWOOD IMPROV ASSN · 50 people · 2016	2/3	SYR4
Barium	2.69 µg/L 0.1% of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L Main supplier: SALMON VALLEY WATER COMPANY · 1,500 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 2.71 µg/L — ZIG ZAG WATER CO-OP · 60 people · 2019	3/3	SYR4
Combined Radium (-226 And -228)	2 pCi/L 40% of the EPA limit 5 pCi/L Highest in the city: ZIG ZAG WATER CO-OP · 60 people · 2019	1/3	SYR4
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)	2 µg/L 3.3% of the EPA limit 60 µg/L Highest in the city: NORTH BRIGHTWOOD IMPROV ASSN · 50 people · 2019	1/3	SYR4
Lead	0.0057 mg/L 38% of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L Main supplier: SALMON VALLEY WATER COMPANY · 1,500 people · 2025	3/3	LCR

Each bar shows the measured level as a share of the EPA limit: green is well under, amber is close to it, red is over. For lead and copper the limit applies to exactly the 90th-percentile figure shown, so red there means a real exceedance. For everything else the limit applies to a running annual average while the figure is the 95th percentile of the system's samples — over 100% is worth reading, but is not by itself a violation. Formal violations are listed separately. These are the utilities' own EPA-reported results, not a city-wide average. A detection means the lab measured the substance — it isn't the same as exceeding a legal limit. Hover a source tag to see the EPA program and years behind each figure.

Water suppliers serving Welches

Supplier	Population served
SALMON VALLEY WATER COMPANY	1,500
ZIG ZAG WATER CO-OP	60
NORTH BRIGHTWOOD IMPROV ASSN	50

Frequently asked questions about Welches tap water

Is Welches tap water safe to drink?

EPA testing detected 11 contaminants in the water serving Welches. A detection isn't the same as a violation — most detected levels are within federal limits. Check the level and source for each contaminant above, and your utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report for the official compliance status.

How many water suppliers serve Welches?

3 public water suppliers report drinking-water monitoring for Welches, Oregon to the EPA. Each is listed above with its population served.

What contaminants are in Welches's water?

The contaminants EPA monitoring detected in Welches include Copper, Nitrate, Nitrate-Nitrite, Fluoride, TTHM. The full list, with the level at the main supplier and the data source, is in the table above.

Where does this data come from?

Every figure is official EPA drinking-water monitoring — the Lead & Copper Rule, the UCMR-5 nationwide testing program, and the EPA Six-Year Review — not our own testing. Each number is labelled with its source and period.