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3 cities ranked best to worst by EPA-record water quality score
Salem has the best tap water grade in Oregon (A, 100/100); Portland is lowest (C, 79/100). Overall, none of the 3 Oregon systems we grade has a health-based EPA violation in the last five years, so the state's tap water is safe by EPA compliance records — 67% earn a B or better.
This page ranks the 3 Oregon cities whose water systems we have matched to EPA records. Every city starts at 100 points and loses points for health-based EPA violations in the last five years (SDWIS 2026Q2), its most recent Lead and Copper Rule 90th-percentile result, PFAS detected in EPA's 2023–2026 UCMR5 monitoring, and 2012–2019 compliance samples that averaged near or above a limit. Letters follow fixed bands (A ≥90, B ≥80, C ≥70, D ≥60, F below 60). Cities run from the highest score (Salem) down to the lowest (Portland); ties are ordered by population served. See the full scoring methodology for every deduction and the data vintages.
An A or B grade points to water that consistently tests within federal safety limits, while a C suggests moderate issues worth watching and a D or F flags contaminants or compliance problems serious enough to act on. These grades describe system-level water leaving the treatment plant — they can't account for your home's own plumbing, so older houses with lead service lines or fixtures can add contaminants after the water arrives. For a contaminant-by-contaminant view, see the Oregon contaminant breakdown or drill into the county-level rankings.
What the EPA service line inventory and our Oregon guide say, beyond the scores.
3 Oregon cities have a report on this site. 3 of them are matched to an active EPA-registered community water system (PWSID). Those 3 systems report serving 1,042,020 people in EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS).
Of all 3 cities Oregon cities we can grade from EPA records, 2 cities (67%) grade B or better, 1 sit in the C range and 0 grade D or F. The average score is 93/100.
None of the 3 graded systems has a health-based EPA violation in the last five years; the 1 violation on file in that window is monitoring or reporting lapses.
3 cities have a Lead and Copper Rule 90th-percentile result from 2020 or later: none at 5 ppb or more — every reported result is well below the action level.
EPA's UCMR5 PFAS monitoring (2023–2026) covers 3 cities: no PFAS was detected in any of them.
Eugene scores highest (100) and Portland lowest (79), a 21-point spread.
Because lead enters water after treatment, the most useful statewide number is the service line inventory Oregon utilities filed with EPA (Q2 2026). 1,281 Oregon systems inventoried 1,244,568 service lines: 0 confirmed lead plus 4 galvanized lines requiring replacement, spread across 0 systems. Only 27,153 lines (2.2%) remain unverified, so Oregon's inventory is comparatively complete.
Of the 3 city-linked Oregon utilities with an inventory on file, 3 report no lead with most lines verified. The largest, PORTLAND WATER BUREAU (Portland, 666,200 served), reports no lead lines and 100% of lines verified non-lead.
| Contaminant | Federal limit | Cities elevated | Over limit | Highest reading | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haloacetic Acids | EPA MCL 0.060 mg/L (60 ppb) for HAA5 | 1 | 0 | Salem | Haloacetic Acids is associated with increased cancer risk over long exposure. |
Service line counts: EPA SDWIS Service Line Inventory, Q2 2026 snapshot (updated 2026-08-18). Limits: EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations.
How Oregon's 3 cities are distributed by water quality grade
2 out of 3 cities meet or exceed a B grade for water quality
Sorted by water quality score from best to worst. Click any city for a detailed water quality report.
Sources: EPA SDWIS/ECHO violations and Lead and Copper Rule results (2026Q2 extract), UCMR5 PFAS occurrence (2023–2026), SYR4 compliance samples (2012–2019). Rubric v2 — methodology.
Found your city above? These guides turn its grade into an action plan.
Pitcher vs. under-sink vs. reverse osmosis, matched to the contaminants reported in Oregon systems.
Taste, odor, trihalomethanes, and why a carbon filter handles them
Where it comes from, how to test, and which filters are NSF 53 certified to remove it
Best filters for lead →EPA's inventory of lead pipes by water system — a risk these plant-level grades cannot capture.
Put a Oregon city next to where you're moving from (or to) and see every contaminant head to head.
The best water quality in Oregon is found in Salem with a score of 100/100 and a grade of A. This puts Salem among the top-performing cities in the country for drinking water safety.
The most concerning water quality is in Portland scoring 79/100 with a grade of C. Residents may want to consider home water testing and filtration options.
The statewide average score is 93/100, which is 5 points above the national average of 88/100. Over half (67%) of Oregon cities score above the national average, though some areas face challenges.
Oregon tap water averages 93/100. Even with solid scores, a certified filter removes trace contaminants and improves taste — especially useful for households with young children or anyone sensitive to chlorine or lead.
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Salem has the best water quality grade among the 3 Oregon cities we can grade, with a score of 100/100 (grade A). Scores start at 100 and lose points for health-based EPA violations, lead 90th-percentile results, PFAS detections in EPA's UCMR5 monitoring and historical (2012–2019) readings near a limit. 2 cities share this top score; the largest system is listed first.
It varies by utility. Across the 3 Oregon cities we grade from EPA records, the average score is 93/100 and 67% earn a B or better. None has a health-based EPA violation in the last five years. No city grades below C. Lead from household plumbing is not captured by any city-level grade.
By population served: Portland grades C (79/100, #3 of 3); Salem grades A (100/100, #1 of 3); Eugene grades A (100/100, #2 of 3). Each city report lists the utility's violations, lead 90th-percentile result and PFAS results.
Of the 3 graded Oregon cities, 0 cities have a D or F grade. Another 1 city falls in the C range. 2 of 3 (67%) score above the national average of 88/100 across all graded U.S. cities in our dataset.
This page ranks 3 Oregon cities from EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (violations and lead results, 2026Q2), UCMR5 PFAS monitoring (2023–2026) and Six-Year Review sample data (2012–2019). Each city link opens a report with the utility's violation history, lead 90th-percentile results and PFAS table. For official Consumer Confidence Reports (CCR), contact your local water utility — federal law requires all community water systems to deliver an annual CCR to customers. The Oregon state environmental agency and the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) also publish official water quality data.
State water quality summary and key statistics
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Side-by-side water quality comparison
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