A Roadmap for Safe Drinking Water
Morrow and Umatilla Counties are facing a decades-long problem of elevated levels of nitrate in groundwater in norther parts of the two counties. This affects thousands of rural residents who rely on wells for drinking water. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality designated the Lower Umatilla Basin Groundwater Management Area (LUBGWMA) when problems were first recognized in 1990.
Through a joint effort of Morrow and Umatilla Counties, the Drinking Water Roadmap Project was launched in 2024 to develop safe and reliable drinking water solutions for domestic well users. The Roadmap Project is funded through a research grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and is being managed by the Morrow County Planning Director (“Principal Investigator” under the EPA grant) with a consultant team led by GSI Water Solutions, Inc. to deliver the work.
Lower Umatilla Basin Groundwater Management Area
Why It Matters
Find Lasting Solutions
The overall goal for this project is to find potential options for long-term solutions to provide safe and sustainable drinking water to well users who may be affected by high nitrate levels in groundwater within the project area.
Timeline: Through 2026
The Drinking Water Roadmap is being conducted in four stages over 2 ½ years. Stage 1 began in Spring 2024 and focused on developing workplans, initial water sampling and data gathering, preliminary outreach to well owners, and conducting baseline assessments of the study area. The final stage will culminate in summer 2026 with completion of a “Drinking Water Action Plan” that will present recommendation for implementing long-term solutions.
