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City water profile

Portland water quality

Compare local ZIP estimates, evidence quality, associated public systems, and compliance history for Portland, Oregon.

Median indexed hardness

29PPM

29 indexed ZIPs

Range 28.8–29.2 PPM

State comparison
At state median
State hardness rank
#13 of 21
Matched utilities
1
Active health records
1

City summary

What the indexed records say

Portland has 29 published ZIP profiles across Multnomah County. The indexed median is 29 PPM, compared with 29 PPM across Oregon.

Among the 21 Oregoncities with an indexed median, Portland ranks #13from highest to lowest. Across all 56 state ZIP profiles, available estimates run from 15.7to 78.9 PPM.

The 28.8–29.2 PPM range shows how much the available ZIP estimates vary within the city label.

Hardness distribution

How local ZIP estimates compare

Soft29 ZIPs
Moderately hard0 ZIPs
Hard0 ZIPs
Very hard0 ZIPs

29 of 29 ZIP profiles have a hardness estimate. Bars count ZIP profiles, not households or laboratory samples.

Evidence quality

Distance, dates, and confidence

Median nearest distance
3.6 miles
Profiles with evidence
29/29

Confidence labels

High: 0Moderate: 29Low: 0

Observation window: Jan 5, 2016 to May 19, 2026.

ZIP directory

Water reports in Portland

Open a ZIP for site-level provenance and measurements.

ZIP code

97201

Soft

28.8 PPM

Nearest site
1.1 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

97202

Soft

28.8 PPM

Nearest site
2.7 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

97203

Soft

28.8 PPM

Nearest site
6.8 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

97204

Soft

28.8 PPM

Nearest site
0.2 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

97205

Soft

28.8 PPM

Nearest site
1.6 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

97206

Soft

28.8 PPM

Nearest site
4.2 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

97208

Soft

28.8 PPM

Nearest site
0.9 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

97209

Soft

28.8 PPM

Nearest site
1.2 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

97210

Soft

28.8 PPM

Nearest site
3.8 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

97211

Soft

28.8 PPM

Nearest site
5 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

97212

Soft

28.8 PPM

Nearest site
2.2 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

97213

Soft

28.8 PPM

Nearest site
3.6 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

97214

Soft

28.8 PPM

Nearest site
1.2 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

97215

Soft

28.8 PPM

Nearest site
3.5 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

97216

Soft

28.8 PPM

Nearest site
5.4 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

97217

Soft

28.8 PPM

Nearest site
5.6 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

97218

Soft

28.8 PPM

Nearest site
5.2 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

97219

Soft

28.8 PPM

Nearest site
4.4 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

97220

Soft

28.8 PPM

Nearest site
5.8 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

97221

Soft

28.8 PPM

Nearest site
3.3 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

97227

Soft

28.8 PPM

Nearest site
1.9 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

97230

Soft

28.8 PPM

Nearest site
8.4 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

97231

Soft

29.2 PPM

Nearest site
11.8 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

97232

Soft

28.8 PPM

Nearest site
1.5 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

97233

Soft

28.8 PPM

Nearest site
8.1 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

97236

Soft

28.8 PPM

Nearest site
7.8 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

97239

Soft

28.8 PPM

Nearest site
2.2 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

97258

Soft

28.8 PPM

Nearest site
0.4 mi
Confidence
Moderate

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ZIP code

97266

Soft

28.8 PPM

Nearest site
5.9 mi
Confidence
Moderate

View full ZIP evidence →

Public water systems

Utilities associated with this city

Portland Water Bureau

PWSID OR4100657

Surface water
System population served
666,200
Last reported
Jun 26, 2026

A municipal system, in-state city, and served county all agree with this Census ZCTA.

Compliance history

What EPA records show

1 unique active health-based record appears among associated systems. This does not mean every contaminant was tested at every tap.

RecordSystemPeriodStatus
Revised Total Coliform RuleOR4100657Jul 1, 2022Resolved
Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment RuleOR4100657Dec 18, 2017Unaddressed · health-based

Practical next steps

Move from index to evidence

  1. 1. Open your ZIP. Check distance, dates, confidence, and the associated utility.
  2. 2. Read the current CCR. Confirm source water, detections, limits, ranges, and notices.
  3. 3. Test the tap when needed. Confirm health concerns or treatment sizing with the right method.

Questions people ask

About water in Portland

Is the water hard?

The indexed city median is 29 PPM. Open the ZIP report to verify the distance and confidence behind that estimate.

Is the tap water safe?

Compliance history is utility-wide and cannot guarantee conditions at every tap. Check current notices and test when address-specific evidence is needed.

Do I need treatment?

Choose treatment only after confirming the problem at the property. A softener targets hardness; contaminant treatment requires a matching, verified performance claim.