Your Drinking Water
BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE ROGUE DRINKING WATER PARTNERSHIP
Dive into the tabs below to learn about where your drinking water comes from, how we're working to protect it, and what you can do to keep your water safe.
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Humans (and most living things) require freshwater to live, so that 2.5% is especially important to us. Drinking water across the globe primarily is sourced from groundwater and surface water– only 0.78% of all Earth’s water– depending on the region and available resource.
Water is essential for all living organisms, so breaking down this resource drop by drop gives us a strong message that conserving and protecting our water is critical for our future. So, where does that small fraction of freshwater come from, and where does it go?
Global freshwater use 1901-2014
The Big Picture
Globally, most of our freshwater (around 70%) goes to agriculture, followed by industry (18%), and finally domestic/municipal (12%). The global demand for freshwater has been increasing since the 1980s, and that has put a major strain on the resilience and availability of this precious resource. Roughly half of the world’s population experiences water scarcity at some point in the year, and that doesn’t take into account water quality. Wastewater treatment, contaminants, and runoff from agricultural lands are major threats to the safety of our freshwater.
Closer to Home...
The Rogue River Watershed is the drainage basin for the Rogue River, which flows about 215 miles from its source high in the Cascades (near Crater Lake) to the ocean at Gold Beach. It churns through Rogue River Gorge and descends through forested areas until it is taken out of the river and eventually to your tap. The Upper Rogue Watershed is 75% forested, and those forests are important to protecting our drinking water.
Our watershed is home to over 300,000 people, and every one of us needs clean, safe drinking water.​
Drinking Water
In the Rogue Basin, our drinking water primarily comes from the higher elevations in the watershed. Snowmelt and precipitation replenish our water bodies, which in turn supply our drinking water. Specifically, in the greater Medford area, our water is sourced from Big Butte Springs (which lies about 30 miles Northeast of the metropolitan area) and the Rogue River. The major water provider in the basin, Medford Water, reports that Big Butte Springs is a pristine source that consistently discharges exceptionally high-quality, cold, and clear water. Spring flows are collected underground and require only minimal treatment—disinfection only—to comply with water treatment regulations.
Between May and September (peak water usage season), the Rogue River functions as a supplemental source for the Medford Water Commission. And while this surface water source requires more advanced treatment than Big Butte Springs, it is generally a high-quality source, and, coupled with Medford Water’s advanced multi-barrier treatment systems, provides exceptional drinking water to the community. Additionally, smaller communities downriver– the City of Rogue River and Gold Hill– utilize the Rogue River as their dominant water source.
Lost Creek Reservoir is another key water source in the Rogue Basin. The lake, which contains approximately 3.24 billion gallons of total storage, is located approximately 20 miles upstream from the Robert A. Duff Water Treatment Plant on the Rogue River. Release from this reservoir accounts for the majority of the water in the Upper Rogue River during the summer months.
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Drinking water in Ashland, conversely, comes from Reeder Reservoir, located in the Ashland Watershed. Reeder Reservoir is fed from snow melt and rain runoff (through forests and streams) from Mount Ashland.
The Rogue River also provides drinking water directly to several communities, including the City of Rogue River, Gold Hill, and Grants Pass. According to the City of Grants Pass Consumer Confidence Report, the Water Treatment Plant produces between 1.20 to 12.69 million gallons per day, depending on the time of year. In 2024, the City distributed more than 2.08 billion gallons of water to over 30,000 people. Surface water is more susceptible to contamination by spills, so drinking water providers throughout the area have been working together to create a Geographic Spill Response Plan in the case of emergencies. This plan supports drinking water providers in the Upper Rogue Watershed by providing methods to control spills for 24 to 48 hours until regional or outside support arrives.
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Interested in learning more about the quality of drinking water in our watershed? Check out the link below for a report using key indicators (such as cyanobacteria, turbidity, temperature, etc.) that help us access water quality. Specific breakdowns of the health of Little Butte Creek and Bear Creek can be found through the Report Card website.
Wait, I have a well...
80% of Oregonians receive their water from public water systems, but that leaves about 20% of residents with well-water sources. For the nearly 63,000 residents that live in unincorporated areas within Jackson County and rely on groundwater for drinking water, it is incredibly important that they get their wells tested to ensure that the quality of the groundwater is safe for consumption.
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Check out the results of a 2011 Jackson County Well Study in the infographic (right). The sample size for this study was relatively small, but it illustrates the importance of getting your well water tested- especially if you’ve been living on the same property for many years.
It is recommended that well owners get their well water tested for total coliform, E. coli, and nitrate every year, and tested for arsenic every three to five years (OHA, 2020). Contaminants can emerge quickly based on human activity in the area.
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The Oregon Health Authority’s Domestic Well Testing Act and Real Estate Transaction (RET) requires that, prior to the sale of a property, the seller must test the well’s water quality for a number of parameters including (EPA Top 35) arsenic, nitrate, and total coliform bacteria, and share those results with potential buyers.
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If the results show contaminants, you can find next steps and additional resources through Oregon Health Authority or your local health department. Head to the resources to find treatment professionals and more details for our area.
Rogue Drinking Water Partnership (RDWP)
RDWP is comprised of drinking water providers and other key interest groups that represent a wide set of sectors and perspectives. A water provider is a business or organization that supplies water, which can include drinking water, irrigation water, or reused/recycled water, often through a network of pipes or storage facilities.
