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.
FOREST TO TAP
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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.
Isn't water renewable?
Yes, absolutely. But renewable resources, by definition, are resources that can be replenished or regenerated over time. They are still affected by consumption levels and conservation.
Additionally, water is not evenly distributed. In the United States, for example, we have extensive freshwater resources compared to the rest of the globe due to the Great Lakes– which hold a whopping 20% of the world’s freshwater. However, even as you travel out into the Western U.S., that resource isn’t necessarily accessible. It is not economically or environmentally conscious to try and pipe water from the Great Lakes to the desert, so we still have to be vigilant in the protection of water within our watershed.
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. By area, it encompasses over 5000 square miles, even extending into northern California. Our watershed is home to over 300,000 people, and every one of us needs clean, safe drinking water.
Want to learn more about what’s happening in the Rogue? Check out Rogue River Watershed Council’s interactive map and experience builder that shows restoration work, threats, and more in the Upper and Middle Rogue. This was funded by the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board’s Telling the Story Grant.
Drinking Water
Static map of source water
In the Rogue basin, our drinking water primarily comes from the higher elevations in the watershed. Snowmelt and precipitation feed our water bodies, and those supply our drinking water reserves. Specifically, in the greater Medford area, our water is overwhelmingly sourced from Big Butte Springs (which lies about 30 miles Northeast of the metropolitan area). The major water provider in the basin, Medford Water Commission, reports that these springs discharge exceptionally high-quality water that is consistently cold and clear, with natural chemical and physical characteristics, which place this source in a “pristine” classification. 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. 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 water source for various communities along the Rogue. The lake, which contains approximately 3.24 billion gallons of total storage, is located approximately 20 miles up the Rogue River from the Duff Water Treatment Plant. Currently, the cities of Phoenix, Jacksonville, and Talent purchase water from the reservoir. Each of the other cities served are required as part of their water supply contracts with Medford Water, to purchase their own Lost Creek water for treatment and transportation by this system.
Check out the link below for a report using key indicators in its analysis, including water quality: cyanobacteria, turbidity, temperature, bacteria; salmon & steelhead: abundance, habitat accessibility; and community: air quality, affordable housing. Specific breakdowns of the health of Little Butte Creek and Bear Creek can be found through the Report Card website.
Help! 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. Read more in the Rogue River Water Providers Source Water Protection Plan.
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.
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.
