Public water system · OR4100657
ActivePortland Water Bureau
At a glance
Portland Water Bureau (PWSID OR4100657) is an active community water system in Multnomah County, Oregon. It reports serving 666,200 people through 187,700 service connections. Its primary water source is surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in July 2022.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
666,200
Service connections
187,700
Primary source
SW
Surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Portland Water Bureau compare with other water systems in Multnomah County?
By EPA's size categories, Portland Water Bureau is a very large system (more than 100,000 people). Multnomah County has 58 active public water systems, and Portland Water Bureau is the largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 45 times the county average of 14,736 people per system, and accounts for 78% of the 854,671 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across Oregon, the 2,536 active systems average 1,587 people each. Nationally, the average active community water system reports serving 6,703 people, so Portland Water Bureau is about 99 times that figure.
What does “community water system” mean?
A community water system serves at least 15 connections used by year-round residents, or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents. Homes, apartments and mobile-home parks are served by these. Oregon has 940 active community water systems, 37% of the state's 2,536 active systems. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs. 211 Oregon systems (8.3%) list surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Portland Water Bureau?
EPA lists Portland Water Bureau as owned by a local government. The OR state drinking water program is its primacy agency, the regulator with primary enforcement responsibility for the system under the Safe Drinking Water Act. 22 of the 58 active systems in Multnomah County (38%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Portland Water Bureau have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in July 2022. The violations listed here began between June 1979 and July 2022. By type: 7 monitoring and reporting, 3 contaminant level above the legal limit, 1 monitoring and 1 required treatment not met. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (3 of them). EPA lists 6 as resolved, 5 as archived and 1 as unaddressed. Resolved means at least one resolving action is on record: the system returned to compliance, the rule no longer applies, or no further action was needed. Archived means the violation was not marked resolved but is more than five years past the end of the noncompliance period, so it no longer counts toward current compliance status. Unaddressed means the violation is not resolved or archived and is not yet covered by formal enforcement.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-07-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2017-12-18 | Required treatment not metFailure to Filter (SWTR) · code 42 | Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0800 | Yes | Unaddressed |
| 2013-09-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2012-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Acute (TCR) · code 21 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2009-11-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Acute (TCR) · code 21 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2007-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalatecode 2039 | No | Resolved |
| 2004-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Arseniccode 1005 | No | Resolved |
| 1979-06-24 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Cadmiumcode 1015 | No | Archived |
| 1979-06-24 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Bariumcode 1010 | No | Archived |
| 1979-06-24 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Archived |
| 1979-06-24 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Seleniumcode 1045 | No | Archived |
| 1979-06-24 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Chromiumcode 1020 | No | Archived |
The 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, newest first.Labels and codes come from EPA's SDWIS reference tables. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found. "Health-based" marks violations of a legal limit or required treatment.
Portland Water Bureau: frequently asked questions
Who runs Portland Water Bureau?
Portland Water Bureau (PWSID OR4100657) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the OR state drinking water program.
How many people does Portland Water Bureau serve?
Portland Water Bureau reports serving 666,200 people through 187,700 service connections in Multnomah County, Oregon.
Where does Portland Water Bureau get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as surface water. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs.
Does Portland Water Bureau have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in July 2022. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found.
Is Portland Water Bureau's water safe to drink?
AquaCensus shows EPA compliance records, not current water test results, so it cannot say whether the water is safe at a given moment. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in July 2022. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the OR state drinking water program.
Where can I find Portland Water Bureau's water quality report?
As a community water system, Portland Water Bureau must deliver an annual water quality report, called a Consumer Confidence Report, to its customers by July 1 each year, covering the previous calendar year. The system can provide a copy on request.
Other water systems in Multnomah County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gresham, City of | Multnomah | 73,932 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Rockwood PUD | Multnomah | 65,443 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Troutdale, City of | Multnomah | 16,185 | Community | Groundwater |
| Fairview, City of | Multnomah | 9,963 | Community | Groundwater |
| Wood Village, City of | Multnomah | 4,388 | Community | Groundwater |
| Usfs Multnomah Falls/Wahkeena | Multnomah | 3,200 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
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About this data
Source: U.S. EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and SDWA violation records, via EPA ECHO, as published October 1, 2026 — AquaCensus refreshes it quarterly. See the methodology for how records are matched, cleaned and scored.
Cite as: AquaCensus, “Portland Water Bureau, PWSID OR4100657, Oregon”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/oregon/portland-water-bureau-or4100657 (data as of October 1, 2026).