Bend gets good grades for water quality

Bend just released a new annual water quality report, explaining that requirements set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency were met.

The city is tasked with providing its customers clean and safe water for consumption.

Bend gets its drinking water mainly from Bridge Creek, a tributary of Tumalo Creek, and when needed during high-volume times, the city taps into the Deschutes groundwater aquifer.

Water Operations Supervisor Rod Mingus said Thursday the increase from summer water consumption to winter water consumption is a huge jump.

“Come summer, that demand goes up. so right now we are running somewhere in the 26 to 27 million gallons a day range,” Mingus said. “That’ll fall to 5-6 million in the winter.”

The quality of the water in Bend is already very high before it gets to the treatment plant, and very little is left to do to make it drinkable.

Bend Water Quality Manager Steve Prazak said chlorine is added i n the treatment plant, to kill off viruses and bacteria as well as pesticides and bugs. The water is then filtered, making it safe to drink.

“The chlorine that is added during the filtration process, both by the filtration facility and for our groundwater, it destroys viral contaminants and the microbial contaminants,” Prazak said.

Even with the addition of chlorine to the water, the city is still continuously testing the water to make sure that it is up to standards.

The main goal is to make sure that the sources of the water are protected to ensure safe water for years to come, as clean drinking water is a top priority for the city of Bend.

The city has been recognized numerous times for its drinking water’s taste and quality, most recently winning third place in a Cascade Coast Water Tasting contest.