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Tap water quality report

Portland Water Bureau

EPA monitoring tested this supplier for 103 contaminants and detected 10. A detection doesn't automatically mean the water is unsafe — the level and EPA source for each is below.

103
contaminants tested
10
detected
666,200
people served
12
health-based violations
Oregon rankingsLead in OregonPFAS in Oregon
Water source
Surface water
Ownership
Local government
Counties served
Multnomah

Compliance record

Formal violations the EPA has on file for this supplier. A health-based violation means a contaminant limit or a required treatment was breached; the rest are monitoring or reporting failures — still violations, but not a measured health risk.

12
health-based violations
25
violations on file
1
still open
ViolationTypeStatusPeriod
TT Health-based Unaddressed 2017-12-18
MCL Health-based Resolved 2013-09-01 → 2013-09-30
MCL Health-based Resolved 2013-09-01 → 2013-09-30
MCL Health-based Resolved 2013-09-01 → 2013-09-30
MCL Health-based Resolved 2012-07-01 → 2012-07-31
MCL Health-based Resolved 2012-07-01 → 2012-07-31
MCL Health-based Resolved 2012-07-01 → 2012-07-31
MCL Health-based Resolved 2012-07-01 → 2012-07-31
MCL Health-based Resolved 2009-11-01 → 2009-11-30
MCL Health-based Resolved 2009-11-01 → 2009-11-30

Other contaminants detected

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 this system's samples — over 100% is worth reading, but is not by itself a violation. Where a single sample came in higher than that percentile, it is noted under the bar. Formal violations are listed separately.
ContaminantLevel vs EPA limitDetection rateSourcePeriod
Copper
402 µg/L 31%
of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L
worst single sample: 941 µg/L
1739/1822 SYR4 2012–2019
Lead
22.545 µg/L 150%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 15 µg/L
worst single sample: 648 µg/L
1672/1822 SYR4 2012–2019
TTHM
41.075 µg/L 51%
of the EPA limit 80 µg/L
worst single sample: 56 µg/L
356/356 SYR4 2012–2019
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)
57.1 µg/L 95%
of the EPA limit 60 µg/L
worst single sample: 76.7 µg/L
341/356 SYR4 2012–2019
Lead
0.0049 mg/L 33%
of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L
 63/63 LCR 2025
Nitrate
376.5 µg/L 3.8%
of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L
worst single sample: 450 µg/L
28/32 SYR4 2012–2019
Nitrate-Nitrite
324 µg/L 3.2%
of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L
worst single sample: 450 µg/L
13/15 SYR4 2012–2019
Barium
12.1 µg/L 0.6%
of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L
worst single sample: 13.5 µg/L
11/15 SYR4 2012–2019
Fluoride
175 µg/L 4.4%
of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L
worst single sample: 180 µg/L
6/13 SYR4 2013–2019
Arsenic
1.356 µg/L 14%
of the EPA limit 10 µg/L
worst single sample: 1.46 µg/L
5/15 SYR4 2012–2019
93 contaminants tested, none detected
1,1,1-Trichloroethane1,1,2-Trichloroethane1,1-Dichloroethylene1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene1,2-DIBROMO-3-CHLOROPROPANE1,2-Dichloroethane1,2-Dichloropropane11Cl-PF3OUdS2,4,5-TP2,4-D4:2 Fts6:2 Fts8:2 Fts9Cl-PF3ONSAdonaAntimony, TotalAsbestosAtrazineBhc-GammaBenzeneBenzo(A)PyreneBeryllium, TotalChlorobenzeneCyanideCadmiumCarbofuranCarbon TetrachlorideChlordaneChromiumCombined Radium (-226 And -228)Combined UraniumDichloromethaneDalaponDi(2-ethylhexyl) AdipateDi(2-ethylhexyl) PhthalateDinosebDiquatEthylene DibromideEndothallEndrinEthylbenzeneGlyphosateGross Alpha, Excl. Radon And UHexachlorobenzeneHfpo-DaHeptachlorHeptachlor EpoxideHexachlorocyclopentadieneLassoMercuryMethoxychlorNetfosaaNfdhaNmefosaaNitriteOxamylPfbaPFBSPfdaPfdoaPfeesaPfhpaPfhpsPfhxaPFHXSPfmbaPfmpaPFNAPFOAPFOSPfpeaPfpesPftaPftrdaPfunaPentachlorophenolPicloramSeleniumSimazineStyreneTetrachloroethyleneThallium, TotalTolueneTotal Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB)ToxapheneTrichloroethyleneVinyl ChlorideXylenes, Totalcis-1,2-DichloroethyleneLithiumO-DichlorobenzeneP-Dichlorobenzenetrans-1,2-Dichloroethylene

Utility contact

Contact
PORTLAND WATER BUREAU
Phone
503-823-1251
Email
[email protected]

Frequently asked questions about Portland Water Bureau

Is Portland Water Bureau tap water safe to drink?

EPA monitoring detected 10 contaminants in Portland Water Bureau's water. A detection isn't the same as a violation — most levels are within federal limits. See each level and source above, and the utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report for its official compliance status.

What contaminants were detected in Portland Water Bureau's water?

EPA monitoring detected Copper, Lead, TTHM, Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5), Lead, and others. The full list with the level and data source for each is above.

How many people does Portland Water Bureau serve?

Portland Water Bureau reports serving 666,200 people in Oregon, per its EPA record.

Has Portland Water Bureau had any water quality violations?

The EPA has 25 violations on file for Portland Water Bureau, of which 12 are health-based (a contaminant limit or required treatment was breached) and 1 remain open. The rest are monitoring or reporting failures.

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.