City of Bend is celebrating a century of water service, invites public to tap into fun, learning and exploration

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The City of Bend announced Thursday it's launching an interactive campaign to celebrate its 100-year anniversary of providing water services.

Prior to 1926, the community’s drinking water came from the Deschutes River. In the early 1920s, dams built at Crane Prairie and Crescent Lake led to algae blooms and tainted water supplies. So the city found a new water source and took over the service of providing drinking water from Bend Water, Light & Power Company.

In 1926, the Bend Municipal Watershed was established, Bridge Creek and mountain spring water became the primary source of Bend’s drinking water, and the city began a century of exceptional water services that still benefit the community today, officials said in a news release outlining its plans.

Over the course of the year, the city’s campaign will feature how the Water Services Department supplies, protects and conserves our drinking water, and also helps safeguard water quality of the river and groundwaters.

To celebrate 100 years of Bend Water Services, the city will share seasonal activities to inspire the community to learn about, explore and protect Bend’s water system throughout 2026.  

This spring, opportunities will focus on the history, the watershed and the foundations of Bend’s water services. In the summer, the focus will be conservation, community and the value of water. And in the fall, the themes will be stormwater, wastewater and everyday stewardship.

Show how you ❤️ Bend Water by joining in the fun:

• Visit us at community events
• Try a Learn, Explore or Protect activity
• Share your photos and participation with us!

Sign up to get enews updates throughout the year — including new seasonal activities, must-see videos, behind the scenes stories, and opportunities to submit selfies or quick input, to get entered to win prizes that will be distributed at the end of 2026.

Visit bendoregon.gov/celebrate-
water to learn more and celebrate.