Quick Facts

• Public water systems provide water for human consumption to at least 15 service connections or serve an average of at least 25 people for at least 60 days a year.  These range from large city systems to smaller systems such as mobile home parks and campgrounds.
• There are approximately 155,000 public water systems in the United States.  Lane County has 336 public water systems.
• Community public water systems supply water to the same population year-round.  There are 67 community water systems in Lane County, which serve a population of 279,413, or 83% of the population).  The ten largest and their populations served are:
• Eugene Water and Electric Board (EWEB) - 178,100
• Springfield Utility Board (SUB) – 57,000
• City of Cottage Grove – 9,705
• City of Florence – 8,426
• Rainbow Water District – 6,300
• Junction City – 5,385
• City of Veneta – 4,840
• City of Creswell – 4,700
• Heceta Water District – 4,500
• City of Oakridge – 3,220
• Ninety-three percent of the public water systems in Lane County use groundwater as their source.
• The Southern Willamette Valley Groundwater Management Area has a current and on-going problem with elevated nitrate in groundwater.  Learn more at http://gwma.oregonstate.edu.
• Over 75% of the population of Lane County is served by surface water including Springfield, which uses groundwater and surface water.
• Some of the most recognizable water features in Lane County serve as drinking water sources, including: McKenzie River, Middle Fork and Coast Fork rivers, Willamette River, Row River, and Dexter Lake.