Is Pendleton, OR tap water safe?
The short answer
2 of the 8 utilities serving Pendleton have a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and CDC’s records: Stewarts Addition and Desire for Healing, Inc.
City of Pendleton, which serves the most people here, has 3 results above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 3.0 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 Pendleton’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
City of Pendleton
Oregon · serves 16,996 people · about 410 in Pendleton
3 results above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 3.0 ppb, above the health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Stewarts Addition
Oregon · serves 50 people · under 100 in Pendleton
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Arsenic at 1.3 ppb, above the health goal.
1 health-based violation since 2016
- Open report
Halls Trailer Court
Oregon · serves 60 people · under 100 in Pendleton
3 results above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 4.0 ppb, above the health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Rieth Water District
Oregon · serves 150 people · under 100 in Pendleton
2 results above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 1.0 ppb, above the health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Green Meadows WTR Corporation
Oregon · serves 75 people · under 100 in Pendleton
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Uranium at 1.2 ppb, above the health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Heritage Improvement District
Oregon · serves 125 people · based in Pendleton
Nothing in its records is above a health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
McKay Acres Improvement Dist
Oregon · serves 75 people · based in Pendleton
3 results above the health goal. The worst: Arsenic at 1.4 ppb, above the health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Desire for Healing, Inc
Oregon · serves 33 people · based in Pendleton
3 results above the health goal. The worst: Arsenic at 2.5 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 City of Pendleton’s water, which serves the most people here. Another utility’s report names what handles its own results.
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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: Lead, 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: Lead, Arsenic
Water testing near Pendleton
The 3 labs Oregon certifies closest to Pendleton, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Pendleton Wastewater Treatment Plant
Pendleton, OR · under a mile
Certified for bacteria
Umpqua Research Company - Table Rock
Pendleton, OR · under a mile
Certified for bacteria, nitrate
Matrix Sciences dba KTL
Pasco, WA · about 49 miles
Certified for nitrate, lead and copper, metals, minerals and other inorganics
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 Pendleton
Which ZIP codes are in Pendleton: 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 Pendleton
Towns nearby with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read City of Pendleton’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