waterbycounty
EPA SDWIS

Morrow County Water Quality

Morrow County, Oregon

Water Grade

F

Water Score

33.9

Violations

5

State Rank

#21

of 36 (1 = best)

EPA SDWIS Compliance

Drinking Water Quality

Water Quality Grade

F

Based on EPA compliance history and violation data

Water Score

33.9/100

Higher = better quality

Health Violations

5

Health-based violations

Violation Rate

50.2%

Systems with violations

Water Advisory: Morrow County

Water Verdict

Morrow County receives a poor water quality assessment with a grade of F and a score of 33.9 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

Morrow County has recorded 5 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 50.2 violations per 1,000 residents, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Residents of Morrow 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 5 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

Morrow County has poorer water quality than the average county in Oregon. Its water score is 10.7 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

39

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

5.7K

5,667 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Organics, Pesticide
  • Nutrient

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

31.9cfs

May 14, 7:00 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

117%

Above typical

Primary Streamgage

WILLOW CREEK AT MORGAN STREET, AT HEPPNER, OR

USGS site
14034608
Drainage area
147 sq mi
Long-term mean
27.3 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 Morrow County, Oregon?
Morrow County, Oregon has a drinking-water quality grade of F with a score of 33.9/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 5 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 Morrow County?
Morrow County has 5 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 Morrow County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 5,667 measurements from 39 monitoring sites in Morrow County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Organics, Pesticide, Nutrient. 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 Morrow County right now?
Morrow County's primary USGS streamgage on the WILLOW CREEK is currently reading 31.9 cubic feet per second — 117% of the long-term mean of 27.27 cfs. Flow is within typical range for this gauge. For genuine real-time data, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Morrow County water compare to the Oregon average?
Morrow County's SDWIS water quality score of 33.9/100 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 Morrow County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Morrow County has a water quality grade of F (33.9/100). 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).
Does Morrow County have clean drinking water?
Morrow County has 5 health-based drinking water violations according to EPA records. With a water quality score of 33.9/100 and grade F, the county's drinking water has had some compliance issues but continues to be monitored. Note: drinking-water compliance speaks to the public water system, not necessarily to the watershed itself — check the Watershed Health zone for ATTAINS §303(d) data.
How does Morrow County rank for water quality in Oregon?
Morrow County ranks #21 out of 36 counties in Oregon by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 33.9/100, it falls in the middle 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

Yamhill County

Oregon

F

34.0

Water score

Crook County

Oregon

F

35.0

Water score

Clatsop County

Oregon

F

32.7

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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