waterbycounty
EPA SDWIS

Linn County Water Quality

Linn County, Oregon

Water Grade

C

Water Score

53.8

Violations

12

State Rank

#11

of 36 (1 = best)

EPA SDWIS Compliance

Drinking Water Quality

Water Quality Grade

C

Based on EPA compliance history and violation data

Water Score

53.8/100

Higher = better quality

Health Violations

12

Health-based violations

Violation Rate

11.5%

Systems with violations

Water Advisory: Linn County

Water Verdict

Linn County receives a below-average water quality assessment with a grade of C and a score of 53.8 out of 100. Residents should review their utility's Consumer Confidence Report and may want to consider additional water filtration for drinking.

Violation Context

Linn County has recorded 12 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 11.5 violations per 1,000 residents, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Linn County meets baseline standards, but residents who are immunocompromised or have young children may want to use an NSF-certified water filter as a precaution. With 12 recorded health violations, staying informed about utility communications and boil-water notices is especially important. For long-term peace of mind, request your utility's latest Consumer Confidence Report and consider independent water testing if you have specific health concerns.

Regional Context

Linn County has better water quality than the average county in Oregon. Its water score is 9.2 points higher than the state average, indicating stronger water system performance relative to neighboring counties.

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

64

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

16K

16,004 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Nutrient
  • Cyanotoxins, Phytotoxins

Categories measured most frequently

Data from the EPA Water Quality Portal (WQP), aggregating monitoring records from federal, state, and tribal sources. Each measurement represents a single sample analyzed for a specific characteristic (e.g., E. coli, pH, dissolved oxygen, nitrogen).

Live USGS Streamgage

River & Stream Conditions

Current Discharge

6,800cfs

May 14, 7:10 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

49%

Well below typical

Primary Streamgage

WILLAMETTE RIVER AT ALBANY, OR

USGS site
14174000
Drainage area
4,840 sq mi
Long-term mean
14.0K cfs

One representative streamgage (the one with the largest drainage area in the county). Many counties have multiple gauges — this view summarizes the primary one. The long-term mean is the full-record annual average; "% of typical" compares the latest reading against that average.

Improve your water quality at home

Berkey filters remove 99.9%+ of contaminants from tap water.

Shop Berkey →

Sponsored

Test your tap water

Tap Score provides professional mail-in water testing.

Get Tested →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the water quality in Linn County, Oregon?
Linn County, Oregon has a drinking-water quality grade of C with a score of 53.8/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 12 health-based drinking water violations over the past 5 years. Watershed health, monitoring records, and live streamflow are reported separately on this page.
Are there any water violations in Linn County?
Linn County has 12 health-based drinking water violations recorded by the EPA over the past 5 years. Health-based violations indicate instances where contaminant levels exceeded EPA Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs). Violations may have been resolved — check with your local water utility for current status.
How much water-quality monitoring happens in Linn County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 16,004 measurements from 64 monitoring sites in Linn County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Nutrient, Cyanotoxins, Phytotoxins. Each measurement is a single sample analyzed for one characteristic (E. coli, pH, dissolved oxygen, etc.). High monitoring density means more scientific evidence behind any reported signal — it does not by itself indicate water quality.
What's happening with rivers in Linn County right now?
Linn County's primary USGS streamgage on the WILLAMETTE RIVER is currently reading 6,800 cubic feet per second — 49% of the long-term mean of 14,004.01 cfs. This is well below typical — often a signal of drought stress on source water. For genuine real-time data, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Linn County water compare to the Oregon average?
Linn County's SDWIS water quality score of 53.8/100 is higher than the Oregon state average of 44.6. The average water quality grade across Oregon is D, based on data from 36 counties with available SDWIS data.
Is tap water safe to drink in Linn County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Linn County has a water quality grade of C (53.8/100). This indicates moderate compliance. Some violations have been recorded but overall standards are maintained. The grade speaks to the public water system, not the watershed — for watershed-level concerns, see the Watershed Health zone. For the most up-to-date information, contact your local water utility or review your Consumer Confidence Report (CCR).
Why does Linn County have so many water violations?
Linn County has 12 health-based drinking water violations on record from the EPA SDWIS database. A higher violation count can result from aging infrastructure, underfunded water utilities, agricultural runoff contamination, or industrial pollution. Counties with more water systems may also see more violations simply due to scale. Residents concerned about water quality should consider independent water testing and home filtration systems.
How does Linn County rank for water quality in Oregon?
Linn County ranks #11 out of 36 counties in Oregon by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 53.8/100, it falls in the top third of counties statewide. The ranking reflects EPA SDWIS compliance only — not watershed impairment, monitoring density, or streamflow, which are tracked separately on this page.

Counties with Similar Water Quality

Marion County

Oregon

D

50.4

Water score

Klamath County

Oregon

D

50.1

Water score

Hood River County

Oregon

D

49.3

Water score

Data Sources

Drinking-water compliance data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) via the ECHO enforcement database. Scores reflect compliance history and health-based violation counts.

Water-quality monitoring counts from the EPA Water Quality Portal (WQP) — federated USGS, EPA, and state agency sampling records over a rolling 5-year window.

Live streamflow from the USGS National Water Information System (NWIS) — continuous discharge measurements from the largest-drainage gauge in each county, compared against the full-record long-term annual mean.

Disclaimer: This data is informational only. It is not health, legal, or professional advice. For concerns about your specific water supply, contact your local water utility.

By Logan Johnson, Founder & Data EditorUpdated Reviewed by Logan Johnson, Founder & Data Editor

Explore more data for Linn County

Property TaxCost of LivingCrime RateIncomeHealthSchoolsDisaster RiskWeatherCounty Score