Lead Contamination

Lead in Oregon Drinking Water

Ranked by 90th percentile lead level (ppb) · Data from EPA SDWIS & UCMR

213

Cities Tested

Exceeds Limit

% Exceeds Limit

2.6 ppb

State Avg

▲ 1% vs national

vs National

205

Health Violations

Analysis

Lead in Oregon: what the data shows

Oregon has 213 cities with lead monitoring data, with some cities exceeding the EPA action level of 15 ppb. The state average 90th percentile lead level is 2.6 ppb, compared to 3.3 ppb nationally — worse than the national average. 6 cities exceed the 15 ppb action level. High lead levels in tap water typically indicate aging infrastructure — lead service lines, lead solder in older plumbing, or lead-containing brass fixtures. There is no safe level of lead exposure for children. The 90th percentile measurement means that 90% of tap samples in a city are at or below the reported level. This is the standard EPA uses under the Lead and Copper Rule to determine if a water system needs to take corrective action. An NSF 53-certified pitcher or under-sink filter can effectively remove lead at the tap.

Comparison

Cities exceeding 15 ppb EPA Action Level

Oregon

6 of 213 cities

→ ▲ 1% above national rate (worse)

National avg

378 of 15681 cities

City Map

Lead data across Oregon

Each dot is a city, colored by overall water quality grade. Cities with lead levels above the 15 ppb EPA action level are highlighted. Size reflects population served.

Worst Offenders

Top 10 cities by lead level in Oregon

Highest Lead levels (ppb)

All Cities

All Oregon cities ranked by lead level

#	City	Level	Exceeds?	Violations	Grade
1	Medford	44.2 ppb	Yes	44	F
2	Roseburg	35.0 ppb	Yes	35	F
3	Mulino	28.2 ppb	Yes	10	F
4	Eugene	25.9 ppb	Yes	178	F
5	Myrtle Creek	25.0 ppb	Yes	55	D+
6	Lowell	17.8 ppb	Yes	0	B-
7	Heppner	10.5 ppb	No	17	B+
8	Ophir	10.3 ppb	No	2	B-
9	Riddle	10.0 ppb	No	55	F
10	Drain	10.0 ppb	No	12	C-
11	Gold Beach	9.1 ppb	No	3	F
12	Lakeview	8.7 ppb	No	2	D
13	Halsey	7.6 ppb	No	2	B+
14	Wilsonville	7.6 ppb	No	10	C+
15	Woodburn	7.5 ppb	No	50	F
16	Vale	7.4 ppb	No	45	C
17	Garibaldi	7.0 ppb	No	15	C
18	Winston	7.0 ppb	No	9	B
19	Cloverdale	6.5 ppb	No	5	F
20	Warm Springs	6.2 ppb	No	89	F
21	Bandon	6.1 ppb	No	119	F
22	Stayton	6.0 ppb	No	2	B+
23	Harbor	6.0 ppb	No	3	B+
24	West Linn	5.0 ppb	No	15	F
25	Parkdale	5.0 ppb	No	15	B+
26	Tualatin	4.9 ppb	No	0	A
27	Gresham	4.9 ppb	No	0	B
28	Seal Rock	4.5 ppb	No	2	A
29	Coquille	4.4 ppb	No	57	F
30	Dallas	4.3 ppb	No	4	B-
31	Rhododendron	4.1 ppb	No	4	B
32	Reedsport	4.0 ppb	No	8	C-
33	Irrigon	4.0 ppb	No	2	D
34	Glide	4.0 ppb	No	1	B+
35	Rickreall	3.9 ppb	No	15	F
36	Junction City	3.8 ppb	No	14	F
37	Joseph	3.7 ppb	No	3	B
38	Welches	3.7 ppb	No	47	D+
39	Lebanon	3.7 ppb	No	16	F
40	Coos Bay	3.6 ppb	No	14	D+
41	Lyons	3.6 ppb	No	8	F
42	Creswell	3.4 ppb	No	13	C+
43	Malin	3.4 ppb	No	9	B
44	Gladstone	3.3 ppb	No	8	C
45	Odell	3.3 ppb	No	6	B-
46	Philomath	3.3 ppb	No	35	B+
47	Mt. Angel	3.2 ppb	No	5	B
48	Newberg	3.1 ppb	No	270	F
49	Gleneden Beach	3.1 ppb	No	2	A-
50	Sutherlin	3.0 ppb	No	6	B
51	Banks	3.0 ppb	No	5	B+
52	Yoncalla	3.0 ppb	No	44	C
53	Dufur	3.0 ppb	No	4	C-
54	Hermiston	2.9 ppb	No	67	F
55	Forest Grove	2.9 ppb	No	2	B+
56	The Dalles	2.9 ppb	No	54	F
57	Westport	2.9 ppb	No	32	D+
58	Otis	2.7 ppb	No	28	D
59	Toledo	2.7 ppb	No	0	A
60	Mapleton	2.6 ppb	No	70	D
61	Springfield	2.6 ppb	No	19	F
62	Troutdale	2.5 ppb	No	2	A-
63	Independence	2.5 ppb	No	6	B
64	Glendale	2.4 ppb	No	42	B
65	Carlton	2.4 ppb	No	9	B-
66	Willamina	2.4 ppb	No	4	A-
67	Mill City	2.3 ppb	No	0	A
68	Donald	2.3 ppb	No	14	A
69	Waldport	2.3 ppb	No	25	D
70	Lakeside	2.2 ppb	No	2	A
71	Crescent	2.2 ppb	No	3	A
72	Estacada	2.1 ppb	No	119	F
73	Ontario	2.1 ppb	No	5	B-
74	Albany	2.0 ppb	No	35	F
75	Canby	2.0 ppb	No	21	D
76	Milton-Freewater	2.0 ppb	No	12	F
77	Grand Ronde	2.0 ppb	No	22	D+
78	Stanfield	2.0 ppb	No	4	C
79	Canyonville	2.0 ppb	No	14	C-
80	Nehalem	1.9 ppb	No	8	D
81	Prineville	1.9 ppb	No	56	F
82	Adair Village	1.9 ppb	No	12	C
83	Maupin	1.9 ppb	No	12	D
84	Powers	1.9 ppb	No	14	B+
85	Canyon City	1.9 ppb	No	2	B-
86	Shady Cove	1.9 ppb	No	56	D
87	Myrtle Point	1.8 ppb	No	9	D+
88	Athena	1.8 ppb	No	5	A-
89	Yachats	1.8 ppb	No	5	D
90	Hood River	1.7 ppb	No	13	D+
91	John Day	1.7 ppb	No	1	A-
92	Nyssa	1.6 ppb	No	34	B-
93	Hines	1.6 ppb	No	4	A-
94	Colton	1.6 ppb	No	23	D+
95	Antelope	1.6 ppb	No	25	C-
96	Union	1.6 ppb	No	7	A-
97	Eagle Point	1.6 ppb	No	1	C+
98	Harrisburg	1.5 ppb	No	37	D
99	Gervais	1.5 ppb	No	1	A-
100	Port Orford	1.4 ppb	No	24	D
101	Prairie City	1.4 ppb	No	6	B-
102	Gaston	1.4 ppb	No	13	D
103	Wood Village	1.4 ppb	No	9	B
104	Rogue River	1.4 ppb	No	7	C
105	Clackamas	1.3 ppb	No	21	D
106	Sherwood	1.3 ppb	No	7	B-
107	Falls City	1.3 ppb	No	3	B-
108	Mount Vernon	1.3 ppb	No	3	B+
109	Boring	1.2 ppb	No	39	D+
110	Bay City	1.2 ppb	No	3	B
111	Condon	1.2 ppb	No	1	B+
112	Silverton	1.2 ppb	No	18	C
113	Sisters	1.2 ppb	No	12	C
114	Christmas Valley	1.2 ppb	No	3	A
115	Warrenton	1.1 ppb	No	2	B+
116	Newport	1.1 ppb	No	29	F
117	Corvallis	1.1 ppb	No	38	F
118	Madras	1.1 ppb	No	16	B+
119	Sheridan	1.1 ppb	No	5	D
120	Elgin	1.0 ppb	No	4	A-
121	Oakland	1.0 ppb	No	2	D+
122	La Grande	0.9 ppb	No	7	B-
123	Mcminnville	0.9 ppb	No	1	B+
124	Oregon City	0.7 ppb	No	14	D
125	Seaside	0.7 ppb	No	27	F
126	Klamath Falls	0.7 ppb	No	36	F
127	Wallowa	0.7 ppb	No	1	B+
128	Central Point	0.7 ppb	No	68	D
129	Hubbard	0.6 ppb	No	30	F
130	Yamhill	0.5 ppb	No	53	F
131	Fairview	0.5 ppb	No	20	D
132	Corbett	0.5 ppb	No	10	C-
133	Clatskanie	0.5 ppb	No	57	D
134	Talent	0.4 ppb	No	3	B-
135	Jacksonville	0.3 ppb	No	10	C+
136	Redmond	0.3 ppb	No	35	D
137	Gold Hill	0.3 ppb	No	17	D
138	Phoenix	0.2 ppb	No	0	A-
139	Portland	0.0 ppb	No	118	F
140	Beaverton	0.0 ppb	No	10	F
141	Salem	0.0 ppb	No	108	F
142	Bend	0.0 ppb	No	116	F
143	Hillsboro	0.0 ppb	No	7	F
144	Tigard	0.0 ppb	No	3	C
145	Milwaukie	0.0 ppb	No	1	F
146	Happy Valley	0.0 ppb	No	17	F
147	Lake Oswego	0.0 ppb	No	20	D
148	Grants Pass	0.0 ppb	No	78	F
149	Keizer	0.0 ppb	No	7	C
150	Ashland	0.0 ppb	No	15	D
151	Lincoln City	0.0 ppb	No	1	B+
152	St Helens	0.0 ppb	No	33	F
153	Astoria	0.0 ppb	No	45	F
154	Pendleton	0.0 ppb	No	43	F
155	Sandy	0.0 ppb	No	161	F
156	Cornelius	0.0 ppb	No	5	F
157	Florence	0.0 ppb	No	6	A-
158	Monmouth	0.0 ppb	No	18	D
159	Molalla	0.0 ppb	No	75	F
160	Cottage Grove	0.0 ppb	No	173	F
161	Tillamook	0.0 ppb	No	38	F
162	Baker City	0.0 ppb	No	4	C+
163	Sweet Home	0.0 ppb	No	83	B-
164	Scappoose	0.0 ppb	No	84	F
165	Umatilla	0.0 ppb	No	13	D
166	Brookings	0.0 ppb	No	19	D
167	Boardman	0.0 ppb	No	0	C+
168	Veneta	0.0 ppb	No	2	A-
169	Terrebonne	0.0 ppb	No	28	D
170	Amity	0.0 ppb	No	31	D
171	Lafayette	0.0 ppb	No	16	C-
172	Sunriver	0.0 ppb	No	5	A+
173	Aumsville	0.0 ppb	No	12	A
174	La Pine	0.0 ppb	No	2	B+
175	Jefferson	0.0 ppb	No	4	C+
176	Oakridge	0.0 ppb	No	5	C+
177	Manzanita	0.0 ppb	No	4	B
178	Turner	0.0 ppb	No	3	B
179	Burns	0.0 ppb	No	19	D+
180	Sublimity	0.0 ppb	No	4	A-
181	Dundee	0.0 ppb	No	3	D+
182	Enterprise	0.0 ppb	No	24	D+
183	Rainier	0.0 ppb	No	121	D
184	Cave Junction	0.0 ppb	No	60	D
185	Aurora	0.0 ppb	No	19	D+
186	Dayton	0.0 ppb	No	5	A-
187	Brownsville	0.0 ppb	No	17	F
188	Vernonia	0.0 ppb	No	11	D
189	Columbia City	0.0 ppb	No	3	B
190	Siletz	0.0 ppb	No	9	B+
191	Netarts	0.0 ppb	No	3	B
192	Gearhart	0.0 ppb	No	1	A
193	Neskowin	0.0 ppb	No	3	B
194	Cannon Beach	0.0 ppb	No	3	C+
195	Rockaway Beach	0.0 ppb	No	15	A-
196	Cascade Locks	0.0 ppb	No	3	C
197	Depoe Bay	0.0 ppb	No	5	A-
198	Chiloquin	0.0 ppb	No	8	D+
199	Pilot Rock	0.0 ppb	No	8	A-
200	Pendelton	0.0 ppb	No	1	D+
201	Coburg	0.0 ppb	No	6	B+
202	Island City	0.0 ppb	No	5	D+
203	Wamic	0.0 ppb	No	10	C-
204	Pacific City	0.0 ppb	No	2	D
205	Scio	0.0 ppb	No	4	C
206	Merrill	0.0 ppb	No	4	A-
207	Weston	0.0 ppb	No	7	A-
208	Oceanside	0.0 ppb	No	6	C
209	Tangent	0.0 ppb	No	7	C
210	Echo	0.0 ppb	No	3	A-
211	Arlington	0.0 ppb	No	0	A-
212	Cove	0.0 ppb	No	2	A
213	Huntington	0.0 ppb	No	8	C

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about lead in Oregon

Is lead in Oregon tap water a concern?

Yes — 6 of 213 cities with lead data exceed the EPA action level of 15 ppb. The state average is 2.6 ppb. Even below the action level, lead poses health risks especially for children and pregnant women. If your home was built before 1986, consider testing your tap water directly.

How can I reduce lead exposure from Oregon tap water?

Use an NSF 53-certified water filter, which is specifically certified to reduce lead. Run your cold tap for 30 seconds before drinking or cooking, especially if water has been sitting in pipes for hours. Never use hot tap water for cooking or making baby formula, as heat increases lead leaching from pipes.

Which Oregon cities have the highest lead levels?

The cities with the highest 90th percentile lead levels in Oregon are: Medford (44.2 ppb), Roseburg (35.0 ppb), Mulino (28.2 ppb), Eugene (25.9 ppb), Myrtle Creek (25.0 ppb). See the full ranked table above.

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