NORTH PLAINS WATER DEPARTMENT vs PORTLAND WATER BUREAU
Water quality comparison — risk levels, violations, PFAS records, and contaminants
Quick Answer
Both utilities share the same risk level (safe). NORTH PLAINS WATER DEPARTMENT has 0 open health-based violations and 0 PFAS records. PORTLAND WATER BUREAU has 1 open health-based violation and 174 PFAS records.
Oregon · OR4100576
No Concerns Detected
Water meets all safety standards with no detected exceedances.
0
Open violations
0
PFAS records
Oregon · OR4100657
No Concerns Detected
Water meets all safety standards with no detected exceedances.
1
Open violations
174
PFAS records
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Metric | NORTH PLAINS WATER DEPARTMENT | PORTLAND WATER BUREAU |
|---|---|---|
| State | Oregon | Oregon |
| Risk Level | No Concerns Detected | No Concerns Detected |
| Population Served | 3,663 | 666,200 |
| Open Health Violations | 0 | 1 |
| Total Violations | 0 | 2 |
| PFAS Records | None detected | 174 |
| Ownership | Local | Local |
| Service Type | Surface water | Surface water |
| City Served | — | — |
Contaminants in Violation Records
NORTH PLAINS WATER DEPARTMENT
No named contaminants in violation records.
PORTLAND WATER BUREAU
- Coliform (TCR)
Key Differences
NORTH PLAINS WATER DEPARTMENT has 0 open health-based violations vs. 1 for PORTLAND WATER BUREAU.
NORTH PLAINS WATER DEPARTMENT has 0 PFAS records vs. 174 for PORTLAND WATER BUREAU.
What Should I Do?
If either utility shows open violations or elevated PFAS records, consider:
- Installing a reverse osmosis filter — removes PFAS, lead, arsenic, nitrates, and most heavy metals.
- Requesting your utility’s annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) for the most current test results.
- Ordering a certified lab water test if you want contaminant-specific data for your address.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is safer — NORTH PLAINS WATER DEPARTMENT or PORTLAND WATER BUREAU?
Both utilities share the same risk level (safe). Both utilities have similar violation profiles — review the full data above to decide based on specific contaminants that concern you.
What does "open health-based violation" mean?
An open health-based violation means a water system has exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) or failed to meet a treatment technique — and the violation has not yet been resolved. These are the most serious type of water quality violations.
How current is this data?
Violation data comes from EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), which is updated as utilities report. PFAS data comes from EPA's UCMR 5 monitoring (2023–2025). Risk levels are recalculated daily.
What does PWSID mean?
PWSID stands for Public Water System ID — a unique federal identifier assigned to each community water system. You can use it to look up a system in EPA's ECHO database.