Water Quality

Committed to Quality

Rockwood Water is proud to provide its customers with high quality water and is committed to meeting or exceeding all state and federal drinking water standards.

If you have questions or concerns about your water quality, please call the District office at (503) 665-4179 or email customerservice@rwpud.org.

Your Water Source

Rockwood Water PUD is delivering groundwater as its main water source. The Cascade Groundwater Alliance (CGA) expanded the groundwater system to increase water supply, storage and treatment. Cascade groundwater meets all state and federal treatment and water quality standards.

About groundwater

  • Cascade groundwater comes from a deep, naturally protected Sand and Gravel Aquifer.
  • Groundwater contains more naturally occurring minerals, including magnesium, calcium and silica.
  • These minerals make the groundwater moderately hard (58-108 m/GL). To learn more about water hardness, visit the US Geological Survey (USGS).

Monitoring Your Water

Your drinking water is monitored for approximately 200 regulated and nonregulated contaminants to ensure compliance with all applicable drinking water regulations. Samples are collected from Cascade Groundwater Alliance (CGA) source wells, treatment facilities, the distribution system, and customer taps.

The table below shows a range of typical water quality characteristics for CGA groundwater. Actual water quality experienced by customers may vary depending on which wells are in operation, location within Rockwood’s distribution system, system demand, and other operational conditions.

Post Treatment Characteristics at WTP Effluent

CGA Wells

Post Treatment Values  

EPA/OHA Standard
 

Chlorine Residual (mg/L)

 

  

1.5-2.0

 

 4
Temp. (Degrees C) 16-18 N/A
pH 8.0-8.2 6.5-8.5 (S)
Color <5 15 (S)
Conductivity (µ/cm) 190-308 N/A
Total Dissolved Solids

(mg/L)

 110-229 500 (S)
Turbidity (NTU) <.1 5
Silica (mg/L as SiO2) 43-49 N/A
Total Alkalinity as CaCO3 (mg/L) 52-116 N/A
Hardness as CaCO3 (mg/L) 58-108 250 (S)
Chloride (mg/L) 1.2-65 250 (S)
Sulfate 1.2-1.4 250 (S)
Manganese (mg/L) <.02 .05 mg/L
Iron (mg/L) <.1 .30 mg/L

*    These CGA characteristics are based on values measured at our treatment facility and are subject to change depending on different combinations of wells in service.

*    (S) Secondary contaminants pertain only to aesthetic water quality considerations such as taste, odor, & color. These contaminants do not pose a risk to human health at this standard.

*    For more information about Rockwood Water’s drinking water please contact our Water Quality Department at (503-674-4512).