About source protection
The McKenzie River is fed by a large spring system in the upper part of the
watershed that provides an excellent source of clean and abundant water
throughout the year.
The federal Safe Drinking Water Act requires states to assess source
water to protect public drinking water sources. A source water assessment has three
main components:
- Identify the area of land that contributes water to a public water system
- Inventory the main threats or potential sources of contamination that could affect these sources
- Determine how susceptible public water supplies are to these threats
Local agencies use these assessments to address threats to public water supplies.
Protecting drinking water sources frequently
involves collaboration between utilities, natural resource agencies, local, state and federal government,
industry, farmers, residents, and other watershed stakeholders. This is especially true in
the McKenzie Watershed, where EWEB owns very little land and has no jurisdictional
authority over how the watershed is managed.
The main goal of EWEB's source protection program is to measure the balance between watershed
health and human use over time, and to implement actions which maintain a healthy balance for
production of exceptional water quality.
EWEB aims to protect the McKenzie River as a reliable
source of excellent drinking water for present and future generations. Specific objectives are:
- Prevent, minimize and mitigate activities that have known or potentially harmful
impacts on source water quality
- Promote public awareness and stewardship of a healthy watershed in partnership with others
Protecting our drinking water source helps EWEB to avoid future expenses such as increased treatment costs,
new water treatment methods to deal with contaminants, new treatment facilities, and
dealing with the effects of potential hazardous material spills.
EWEB attempted to capture the value of natural assets in the McKenzie Watershed that provide benefits like clean
water, flood control, water filtration and erosion control.
Meet EWEB's Drinking Water Source Protection program coordinator, Karl Morgenstern.
Learn more about the innovative, proactive programs that he manages to help protect your drinking water.
Email us for more information, or call Nancy Toth at 541-685-7438 or
Karl Morgenstern at 541-685-7365.