Is Madras, OR tap water safe?
The short answer
Neither of the 2 utilities serving Madras has a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and CDC’s records.
City of Madras, which serves the most people here, has 1 result above the health goal. The worst: Arsenic at 7.0 ppb, above the health goal. Health goals are stricter than legal limits and are not enforced.
A town can be served by more than one utility, and some homes are on private wells. The name on your water bill tells you which is yours, and your ZIP code narrows it down. They are listed by how many people each serves in Madras’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
City of Madras
Oregon · serves 3,940 people · about 220 in Madras
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Arsenic at 7.0 ppb, above the health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Deschutes Valley Water Dist
Oregon · serves 11,700 people · based in Madras
2 results above the health goal. The worst: Arsenic at 2.6 ppb, above the health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
What handles it
Each of these is certified, on a certifier’s listing, for a result above a line in City of Madras’s water, which serves the most people here. Another utility’s report names what handles its own results.
Disclosure: TapBuff earns a commission if you buy through some links on this page. It does not change which standard or filter we name. As an Amazon Associate, TapBuff earns from qualifying purchases. How TapBuff makes money
Countertop reverse osmosis
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 58NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
Certified for: Arsenic
Aquasana SmartFlow Reverse Osmosis (AQ-SFRO2)
Under-sink reverse osmosis
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 58NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 9, 2026
Certified for: Arsenic
Brondell Capella RC250 Reverse Osmosis System
Under-sink reverse osmosis
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 58NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 9, 2026
Certified for: Arsenic
Water testing near Madras
The 3 labs Oregon certifies closest to Madras, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Britebox Labs, Inc
Bend, OR · about 38 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate
City of Bend Water Quality Laboratory
Bend, OR · about 38 miles
Certified for bacteria, lead and copper, metals
Box R Water Analysis Laboratory, L.L.C.
Prineville, OR · about 41 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate
Oregon State University Extension Well Water Program: Nitrate screening of well water at many of its groundwater education events. The screening is free. Water Testing Guidance for Private Wells, OSU Well Water Program.
All 91 certified labs for OregonZIP codes in Madras
Which ZIP codes are in Madras: Census 2020 relationship files. Which utilities serve them, and how many people: EPA SDWIS and EPA’s service area map. Each utility’s results: EPA UCMR 5, EPA SDWIS, and EPA’s and the state’s compliance monitoring, as its report lists them. How they are measured: methodology. Certified labs: Oregon Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program, drinking water labs, as listed in TNI LAMS; distances from the Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation area gazetteer.
Near Madras
Towns nearby with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read City of Madras’s full reportEvery result with its dates, the violations, and the certification claim that handles each finding.Open the report
- Filters for ArsenicRanked by certification and what they cost over five years.The best reverse osmosis systems, ranked
- On a private well?No utility tests a well. A certified lab test is the first step.How to test well water