Disinfectants · 2024
Chlorine in Portland, OR tap water
Portland, OR's 2024 report shows Chlorine detected, but the EPA has not set an enforceable federal limit for it.
The measurement
| Statistic | Value | Federal limit |
|---|---|---|
Reported level System-wide | 1.94–1.96 mg/L | 4 mg/L MCL |
Reported level System-wide | 0.38–2.53 mg/L | None set |
Verbatim from Portland, OR's 2024 Consumer Confidence Report — source document ↗
About Chlorine
A disinfectant added to drinking water to kill bacteria and viruses.
Effective and necessary, but high residual levels can cause taste and odor issues; the EPA caps the residual disinfectant level.
How Portland, OR compares
5 of the 298 systems measuring Chlorine on The Water Map have it at or above the federal limit:
Nearby systems also reporting Chlorine:
People also ask
+Is there Chlorine in Portland, OR tap water?
Yes — Portland, OR's 2024 Consumer Confidence Report lists Chlorine at 0.38–2.53 mg/L. Portland, OR's 2024 report shows Chlorine detected, but the EPA has not set an enforceable federal limit for it.
+What's the federal limit for Chlorine in drinking water?
The federal MCL for Chlorine is 4 mg/L. The EPA enforces this against the regulated reporting statistic (running annual average or 90th percentile), not a single-sample spike.
+What is Chlorine?
A disinfectant added to drinking water to kill bacteria and viruses. Effective and necessary, but high residual levels can cause taste and odor issues; the EPA caps the residual disinfectant level.
+Which other U.S. cities have Chlorine over the federal limit?
5 of the 298 systems on The Water Map measuring Chlorine report it at or above the federal limit. Examples include Pittsburgh, PA, Columbus, OH, Albuquerque, NM.
+Where does this Chlorine measurement come from?
This page reproduces the Chlorine entry from the 2024 Consumer Confidence Report published by the Portland, OR water utility — the annual drinking-water report every U.S. utility is required by federal law to publish. The original source document is archived at /water/or/portland/2024/source.