Is Oregon City, OR tap water safe?
The short answer
1 of the 3 utilities serving Oregon City has a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and CDC’s records: Polehn Heights Water Assn.
Oregon City, which serves the most people here, has 1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 1.8 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 Oregon City’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
Oregon City
Oregon · serves 33,940 people · about 3,600 in Oregon City
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 1.8 ppb, above the health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Clackamas River Water
Oregon · serves 29,918 people · about 2,500 in Oregon City
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 1.7 ppb, above the health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Polehn Heights Water Assn
Oregon · serves 150 people · under 100 in Oregon City
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 0.74 ppb, above the health goal.
2 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 Oregon City’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 Oregon City
The 3 labs Oregon certifies closest to Oregon City, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Clackamas Water Environment Services-Water Quality Laboratory
Oregon City, OR · under a mile
Certified for bacteria
Clackamas River Water Drinking Water Quality Laboratory
Clackamas, OR · about 6 miles
Certified for bacteria
Eurofins Wilsonville
Wilsonville, OR · about 12 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 Oregon City
Which ZIP codes are in Oregon City: 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 Oregon City
Other towns in Clackamas County with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read Oregon City’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