Drinking water quality · 2025
· Verified
What's in Bend, OR tap water
21 contaminants were measured in the Bend, OR water system's 2025 annual report. Each is shown below against its federal limit.
- Reporting year
- 2025
- Contaminants measured
- 21
- Over federal limit
- 0
- Approaching the limit
- 2
- Service area
- OR
PFAS — EPA UCMR5 (2023–2025)
1 PFAS compound above EPA limits in Bend, OR
The EPA finalized the first-ever federal drinking-water limits for six PFAS compounds in April 2024. These numbers come straight from EPA's UCMR5 lab dataset — every U.S. system serving more than 3,300 people tested every PFAS sample at an entry point to its distribution system. PFAS not listed below were either tested and not detected, or not yet sampled.
PFOA (Perfluorooctanoic acid)
● Over EPA limit (2.0×)near national p90 (13.649999999999999 ng/L across detecting U.S. systems)
PFPeA
● Detected (no federal limit)near national p90 (15.95999999999999 ng/L across detecting U.S. systems)
PFHpA
● Detected (no federal limit)below national p90 (9.309999999999999 ng/L across detecting U.S. systems)
PFHxA
● Detected (no federal limit)below national p90 (12.190000000000003 ng/L across detecting U.S. systems)
Where your water comes from · EPA SDWIS
Bend, OR's drinking water comes from ground water, drawn from 20 sources.
Source
- OUTBACK · 7
- PILOT BUTTE · 3
- ROCK BLUFF · 3
- WELL · 2
- + 4 more
Treatment
- TP FOR BRIDGE CREEK
- TP FOR OUTBACK WELLS
- TP FOR PILOT BUTTE WELLS
- + 5 more
Distribution
Historical readings · EPA Six-Year Review (2012–2019)
11 historically-detected contaminants in Bend, OR
Every U.S. public water system reports compliance-monitoring data to EPA. The Six-Year Review releases the 2012–2019 window as a single dataset — here's what your system reported, year by year. Values shown are the highest detection per analyte per year, compared to the federal MCL.
| Contaminant | Worst detection | EPA limit | Years (2012–2019) |
|---|---|---|---|
HAA5 worst: 2014 | 0.0431 mg/L within | 0.06 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
TTHM worst: 2019 | 0.042 mg/L within | 0.08 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
RADIUM 226 228 worst: 2013 | 2.46 pCi/L within near national p90 | 5 pCi/L | '12'13'14 |
ARSENIC worst: 2014 | 0.0033 mg/L within below national p90 | 0.01 mg/L | '14'19 |
GROSS ALPHA worst: 2013 | 3.87 pCi/L within | 15 pCi/L | '13 |
FLUORIDE worst: 2012 | 0.367 mg/L within | 4 mg/L | '12'13'19 |
NITRATE worst: 2018 | 0.6 mg/L within | 10 mg/L | '12'13'15'16'17'18'19 |
NITRATE NITRITE worst: 2013 | 0.54 mg/L within | 10 mg/L | '12'13'18'19 |
BARIUM worst: 2017 | 0.004 mg/L within below national p90 | 2 mg/L | '17 |
COPPER worst: 2012 | 0.23 mg/L below national p90 | — | '12'15'16'17 |
LEAD worst: 2012 | 0.008 mg/L | — | '12'15'16'17'19 |
Metals
Disinfectants
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChlorineA disinfectant added to drinking water to kill bacteria and viruses. | 1.5MaximumSystem-wide | 4MCL | Within the limit |
Inorganic chemicals
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| NitriteA compound from fertilizer runoff, sewage, and erosion of natural deposits. | 0.1MaximumSystem-wide | 1MCL | Within the limit |
Microbial
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total ColiformA group of bacteria used as an indicator of overall water-system sanitation. | 2MaximumSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
PFAS ("forever chemicals")
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perfluorobutanesulfonic acidPerfluorobutanesulfonic acid, a shorter-chain PFAS 'forever chemical.' | 1.8AverageOf Results | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| Perfluorononanoic acidPerfluorononanoic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical.' | 1.2AverageOf Results | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| PFBAPerfluorobutanoic acid, a shorter-chain PFAS 'forever chemical.' | 2.6AverageOf Results | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| PFOSPerfluorooctanesulfonic acid, a PFAS 'forever chemical' once used in firefighting foam and coatings. | 1.7AverageOf Results | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
Physical & aggregate
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| TOCTotal organic carbon — a measure of organic material dissolved in the water. | 0.5MaximumSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| TurbidityA measure of cloudiness from suspended particles in the water. | 0.2MaximumSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
People also ask about Bend, OR's water
+Is Bend, OR tap water safe to drink in 2025?
Every one of the 21 contaminants measured in Bend, OR's 2025 Consumer Confidence Report is below its federal limit. "Safe" under the EPA's drinking-water standards is health-based, not aesthetic — but by those standards, no measured contaminant in this report exceeds its enforceable threshold. Individual health concerns (e.g. immunocompromised, infant, pregnancy) may warrant additional filtering regardless of compliance.
+What contaminants are in Bend, OR tap water?
21 contaminants were measured in Bend, OR's 2025 Consumer Confidence Report, spanning pfas ("forever chemicals"), metals, and disinfection byproducts. 10 have an enforceable federal limit; the rest are detected but unregulated. Every measured value, in the utility's own units, is on this page.
+Are any contaminants in Bend, OR tap water approaching the federal limit?
2 contaminants are between 80% and 100% of the federal limit in this report: HAA5 and Arsenic. Approaching means measured but not in violation — a margin that can close quickly if conditions change.
+Where does the data on this page come from?
Every value is transcribed from Bend, OR's 2025 Consumer Confidence Report — the annual drinking-water report every U.S. public water utility is required by federal law to publish. The original source document is archived and viewable on this site. A water-quality report covers an entire service area, not a single address.
+How often is Bend, OR's water quality data updated?
Each U.S. public water utility publishes one Consumer Confidence Report per year, covering the prior calendar year's measurements. This page reflects the 2025 report; a new report will replace it once the utility publishes its next annual update.