Is McMinnville, OR tap water safe?
The short answer
1 of the 2 utilities serving McMinnville has a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and CDC’s records: Fox Ridge Water Co.
McMinnville Water & Light, which serves the most people here, has 1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 1.2 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 McMinnville’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
McMinnville Water & Light
Oregon · serves 34,515 people · about 3,200 in McMinnville
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 1.2 ppb, above the health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Fox Ridge Water Co
Oregon · serves 60 people · under 100 in McMinnville
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 0.9 ppb, above the health goal.
1 health-based violation since 2016
What handles it
Each of these is certified, on a certifier’s listing, for a result above a line in McMinnville Water & Light’s water, which serves the most people here. Another utility’s report names what handles its own results.
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Brita Tahoe Pitcher with Elite Filter (OB60, OB06)
Pitcher
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 13, 2026
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 53checked Oct. 13, 2026
Certified for: Lead
Brita Everyday Pitcher with Elite Filter (OB46, OB06)
Pitcher
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 13, 2026
Certified for: Lead
PUR PLUS 11-Cup Pitcher (PPT111W)
Pitcher
- NSF listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
Certified for: Lead
Water testing near McMinnville
The 3 labs Oregon certifies closest to McMinnville, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Willow Lake Laboratory, City of Salem
Salem, OR · about 18 miles
Certified for bacteria, lead and copper, minerals and other inorganics
Waterlab Corp.
Salem, OR · about 24 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, lead and copper, metals, minerals and other inorganics
Eurofins Wilsonville
Wilsonville, OR · about 26 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 McMinnville
Which ZIP codes are in McMinnville: 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 McMinnville
Other towns in Yamhill County with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read McMinnville Water & Light’s full reportEvery result with its dates, the violations, and the certification claim that handles each finding.Open the report
- Filters for LeadRanked by certification and what they cost over five years.The best water filters for lead, ranked
- On a private well?No utility tests a well. A certified lab test is the first step.How to test well water