Water Quality & Backflow Assembly Testing

Water Quality Testing: Ensuring Safe Drinking Water

As your water supplier, the City of Madras is dedicated to providing you with the highest quality water possible. We understand the importance of clean and safe drinking water for the health and well-being of our community. That's why we take great care in monitoring and maintaining the quality of the water we deliver to your taps every day.

Annual Water Quality Report

We are pleased to present this year's Annual Water Quality Report (see attached document). This report is designed to inform you about the quality of water and services we deliver to you on a regular basis. Our constant goal is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water. We want you to understand the efforts we make to continually improve the water treatment process and protect our precious water resources.

Sources of Our Water

The City of Madras utilizes three sources for our water supply:

Deschutes Valley Water District: This is our main water supplier.
City Wells: We also have two wells within the city limits, which are used for backup and emergency purposes. These wells draw water from the Lower Deschutes Drainage Basin.

Ensuring Safe Drinking Water

We constantly monitor our water supply to meet all regulatory requirements. It's important to note that the presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate a health risk. Our water is treated and tested to ensure that it meets the highest standards for safety and quality.

Get Involved

We encourage our valued customers to stay informed about their water utility. If you have any questions about this report or concerns about your water, please contact Dan Hall at (541) 948-6960. Additionally, you are welcome to attend any of our regularly scheduled Council meetings to learn more about our water quality efforts.

At the City of Madras, we are committed to providing top-quality water to every tap in our community. We appreciate your cooperation in helping us protect our water sources for the benefit of current and future generations. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. Together, we can ensure a safe and sustainable water supply for all.

What is Backflow?

Backflow is when water flows in the opposite direction of the way it is intended or designed to flow through a system which can result in undesirable materials entering your water system. Backflow can occur whenever water pressure is reduced enough to cause a vacuum or "back siphonage." Situations that may cause backflow include water main breaks or shutdowns for repairs, hydrants being opened for flushing or firefighting, undersized piping in your residence, etc. Another form of backflow, called "backpressure," occurs when downstream pressure becomes greater than the supply pressure. Excessive backpressures can be caused by pumps, boilers, and heat exchangers.

To help prevent water from flowing in reverse and potentially contaminating a community water supply, the Safe Drinking Water Act requires backflow preventers be installed on all residential and commercial water lines. However, there are still some areas you need to exercise additional caution including your yard or garden area. Garden hoses are one of the most common offenders as a cause of backflow. If you water your garden with a fertilizer or pesticide applicator attached to your hose and you leave it attached while tending to another chore, and a drop in water pressure occurs in the supply system, it will cause a vacuum, pulling the pesticide-laced water into your home. The same thing can occur if you leave hoses submerged in buckets, pools, spas/hot tubs, etc. The next time you or your neighbors turn on a faucet, the water could be laced with toxic chemicals. Water pressure drops are not uncommon, so make sure you have a backflow device attached to your hose or don’t use it for anything you wouldn’t want to drink.

Sprinkler Systems

Lawn and garden irrigation systems can also be a source of backflow water contaminated with garden chemicals and microorganisms into your drinking water. In order to prevent this, building codes require that these systems be protected with a backflow preventer and State Health rules stipulate that they be tested each year.

Backflow Assembly Testing

To ensure our community’s drinking water remains safe for all, the City of Madras now provides annual backflow testing by a State certified tester (Olsen, LLC) for all of our customers with in-ground sprinkler systems for a very reasonable charge. Olsen,LLC contractors will be out testing systems seven days a week throughout the summer months. All of these contractors are State certified, identifiable by their clothing and vehicles, and can produce proof of identification. The charge for this service is added to the customer’s regular bill after the service has been performed. This testing will be provided unless the homeowner makes arrangements with the City in advance and can provide a backflow test from a State certified provider within 10 business days after completing the test.

If you pay your water bill to the City of Madras and would like your backflow assembly tested more than once per year, please call 541-948-6960.
If you pay your water bill to the City of Madras and would like to opt out of the City’s testing program, please call 541-475-2344.
If you have questions about backflow assemblies, please call 541-948-6960.