Quick Facts
Information on Public Water Systems:
- 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. Benton County has 53 public water systems.
- Community public water systems supply water to the same population year-round. There are 15 community water systems in Benton County, which serve a population of 63,616, or 88% of the population. The 10 largest and their populations served are:
- City of Corvallis - 54,800
- Philomath Public Works - 4,690
- Adair Village Water System - 933
- Pope and Talbot, Inc. - 800
- City of Monroe - 690
- Knoll Terrace Park - 400
- Vineyard Mountain Water - 325
- Alsea County Service District - 243
- Fir View Water Company - 180
- Cascade View Estates - 150
- 91% of the public water systems in Benton County use groundwater as their source.
- Over 88% of the population of Benton County is served by surface water.
- Approximately 80-90% of the household water use in Benton County is met by surface water withdrawals from the Willamette River and its tributaries.
- Some of the most recognizable rivers in Benton County serve as drinking water sources:
- Alsea
- Long Tom
- Luckiamute
- Mary's
- Willamette
- The US Geological Survey (USGS) estimates Benton County water use to be approximately 100 gallons per capita per day.
- Approximately 12% of the Benton County population gets their drinking water from domestic wells.
Sources of Contaminants:
- The primary concern for potential contaminants of surface water sources include contaminated runoff, stormwater, and wastewater discharge.
- For groundwater sources, the greatest potential risks in Benton County are:
- Above ground storage tanks: spills or leaks of fuel and other chemicals
- Agricultural activities
- High density septic systems (>1 system per acre): microbes, nitrate, and other improperly discarded chemicals
- Transportation related spills, leaks, improper handling of chemicals
- Underground storage tanks: leaks or spills of fuels or heating oil