waterbycounty
EPA SDWIS

Malheur County Water Quality

Malheur County, Oregon

Water Grade

F

Water Score

11.4

Violations

57

State Rank

#36

of 36 (1 = best)

EPA SDWIS Compliance

Drinking Water Quality

Water Quality Grade

F

Based on EPA compliance history and violation data

Water Score

11.4/100

Higher = better quality

Health Violations

57

Health-based violations

Violation Rate

282.9%

Systems with violations

Water Advisory: Malheur County

Water Verdict

Malheur County receives a poor water quality assessment with a grade of F and a score of 11.4 out of 100. The water supply has documented quality issues. Residents are strongly encouraged to use filtered or bottled water for drinking and to stay informed about utility improvement plans.

Violation Context

Malheur County has recorded 57 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 282.9 violations per 1,000 residents, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Residents of Malheur County are advised to use filtered or bottled water for drinking and cooking until water quality improves. A reverse-osmosis or activated-carbon filter certified to remove the contaminants listed in the utility's Consumer Confidence Report is recommended. With 57 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

Malheur County has poorer water quality than the average county in Oregon. Its water score is 33.2 points lower than the state average, suggesting more challenges with contamination control or infrastructure than neighboring counties.

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

162

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

12K

12,378 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Nutrient
  • Inorganics, Minor, Metals

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

158cfs

May 14, 6:30 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

41%

Well below typical

Primary Streamgage

OWYHEE RIVER BELOW OWYHEE DAM, OR

USGS site
13183000
Drainage area
11,160 sq mi
Long-term mean
383 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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the water quality in Malheur County, Oregon?
Malheur County, Oregon has a drinking-water quality grade of F with a score of 11.4/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 57 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 Malheur County?
Malheur County has 57 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 Malheur County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 12,378 measurements from 162 monitoring sites in Malheur County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Nutrient, Inorganics, Minor, Metals. 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 Malheur County right now?
Malheur County's primary USGS streamgage on the OWYHEE RIVER BELOW OWYHEE DAM, OR is currently reading 158 cubic feet per second — 41% of the long-term mean of 382.56 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 Malheur County water compare to the Oregon average?
Malheur County's SDWIS water quality score of 11.4/100 is lower 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 Malheur County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Malheur County has a water quality grade of F (11.4/100). This indicates below-average compliance with significant violations. Residents may want to consider home water filtration or independent testing. 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 Malheur County have so many water violations?
Malheur County has 57 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 Malheur County rank for water quality in Oregon?
Malheur County ranks #36 out of 36 counties in Oregon by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 11.4/100, it falls in the bottom 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

Columbia County

Oregon

F

13.9

Water score

Curry County

Oregon

F

13.9

Water score

Coos County

Oregon

F

14.0

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

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