Salem, Oregon Water Outage Today
Live Salem water outage reports, City of Salem Public Works’s emergency line and the system’s federal record.
Weather data by Open-Meteo.com
No water outage reports in Salem, Oregon in the last 24 hours
Who supplies water in Salem?
Drinking water in Salem, Oregon is supplied by City of Salem Public Works, which handles outages, main breaks and boil water notices for the city.
Public water systems in Oregon are regulated by the Oregon Health Authority Drinking Water Services.
To report no water or a main break, call City of Salem Public Works at 503-588-6311.
Salem tap water system, by the numbers
Salem Public Works is the water system EPA lists for Salem, serving about 199,820 people. Customers know it as City of Salem Public Works; the name on your bill is the one to call.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Water system in EPA records | Salem Public Works (OR4100731) |
| Run by | Local government |
| People served | 199,820 through 55,970 service connections |
| Source of the water | Surface water (rivers, lakes or reservoirs) |
| Active facilities listed by EPA | 2 surface intakes, 7 active wells, 2 treatment points |
| State regulator | Oregon Health Authority Drinking Water Services |
| Health-based violations since 2015 | 0 |
| Highest lead result (90th percentile) | 7.5 ppb, action level 15 ppb |
Source: EPA SDWIS (Safe Drinking Water Information System).
Source water and treatment in Salem
Tap water in Salem starts as surface water. Salem Public Works takes it from the North Santiam River and I.G. / Roughing Filter #1 and runs it through treatment before it reaches the mains.
What this means in an outage. Because the water is drawn from open surface sources, it has to be filtered and disinfected continuously. A plant problem therefore hits everyone at once, unlike a main break, which only dries up the blocks on either side of the damaged pipe.
Why the water goes out in Salem
Which failures hit Salem hardest follows from its weather, its housing stock and how it is supplied.
- Freezing weather. Salem sees about 34 days a year with a low at or below 32°F, and very few days at or below 20°F. The coldest morning in the 2015 through 2025 record came on January 16, 2024. The longest stretch with highs that never rose above freezing ran 3 days, ending January 15, 2024. Frozen service lines and meters cause single-address outages, while ground frost and thaw cycles crack older mains and produce the street-wide breaks.
- Long dry spells. The longest stretch without measurable rain since 2015 lasted 50 days, ending August 10, 2018. Dry soil shrinks and shifts around buried pipe, and breaks often cluster when the rain returns and the ground swells again.
- Construction and third-party damage. A backhoe or boring crew that hits a main is among the most common reasons a single block goes dry without warning. Utilities handle those the same way as any break: isolate, repair, flush.
- Scheduled work, or a fault inside your own home. Utilities warn customers before a planned shutoff. If nothing was announced and the neighbors are fine, the cause is probably your shutoff valve, meter or pressure regulator.
Salem weather and water-main stress, 2015–2025
Main break season in Salem runs from late fall into early spring, with the coldest stretch around November through January.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Days a year at or below 32°F | 34 |
| Days a year at or below 20°F | 0.8 |
| Days a year with a high at or below 32°F | 0.5 |
| Days a year at or above 95°F | 2.3 |
| Days a year at or above 100°F | 0.3 |
| Days a year with an inch of rain or more | 10.1 |
| Average annual precipitation | 58.6 in |
| Wettest year | 2017 (72.3 in) |
| Driest year | 2019 (41.4 in) |
| Coldest day in the record | January 16, 2024 |
| Hottest day in the record | June 27, 2021 |
Source: NASA POWER daily reanalysis (MERRA-2) for the city center, 2015–2025.
Freezing days peak in December, averaging 8.2 a year. Source: NASA POWER reanalysis, 2015–2025.
The wettest year was 2017 with 72.3 inches; the driest was 2019 with 41.4. Source: NASA POWER reanalysis, 2015–2025.
Because this is gridded reanalysis data, individual hot and cold days can read a few degrees off what the airport recorded. The day counts and yearly patterns are the useful part.
Boil water advisories and the federal violation record for Salem
Since 2015, EPA's record for Salem Public Works shows no health-based violations. It also lists 1 monitoring or reporting entry that is about paperwork rather than water quality, such as a missed sample or a late report.
Most recent entries, all monitoring or reporting:
- July 2023: A late or missing annual water quality report It is marked resolved.
| Type of violation | Health-based | Monitoring and other |
|---|---|---|
| Public notice and annual reports | 0 | 1 |
Source: EPA SDWIS.
When Salem loses pressure after a break or a failed test, City of Salem Public Works asks affected customers to boil water for drinking and cooking. The notice ends only after samples come back clean, which usually takes one to two days after service returns, and the Oregon Health Authority Drinking Water Services supervises the process.
What the lead tests and housing age say about Salem
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result filed for Salem Public Works is 2 ppb (2025). The federal action level is 15 ppb, so that result is far from the limit.
Highest result on file: 7.5 ppb. Source: EPA SDWIS.
32.2% of occupied homes in Salem were built before 1970, and lead service lines and solder stayed legal until the federal ban in 1986. After any outage that disturbs the pipes, run the cold tap 30 seconds to 2 minutes before drinking, and ask City of Salem Public Works about its lead service line inventory.
When will the water come back on in Salem?
Most repairs of an ordinary main break in Salem take half a day once the crew is on site. Bigger mains, deep bury and busy roads stretch that to a day or more.
| Situation | Typical time |
|---|---|
| Planned shutoff | Time window posted ahead; water often returns early |
| Ordinary main break | Roughly 4 to 8 working hours |
| Large or deep main | One to three days, longer if parts must be ordered |
| Low pressure after a pump or power failure | As long as the outage itself, plus a few hours to refill tanks |
| Boil water notice after service returns | One to two days while samples are tested |
| Frozen service line or meter | Depends on thaw; a plumber is usually needed |
Source: Utility practice, EPA and state boil water guidance.
Ask City of Salem Public Works for a restoration estimate when you report the outage; for large breaks it is normally posted and updated as the repair progresses.
Emergency water storage for Salem households
With about 2.6 people in the typical Salem home, FEMA's one-gallon-per-person-per-day rule means 8 gallons covers three days and 37 gallons covers two weeks.
- 4.5% of homes are mobile or manufactured homes, whose pipes are more exposed to freezing and have less room for a water heater tank as backup.
- A standard water heater is a ready-made 40-gallon reserve. Shut off its power or gas, open a hot tap somewhere in the house, and draw from the drain valve.
- Fill the bathtub and a few large pots as soon as you hear a break is likely; that water is for flushing and washing, not drinking.
Salem versus neighboring water utilities
| City | System | People served | Source | Health violations since 2015 | Highest lead (ppb) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salem, OR | Salem Public Works | 199,820 | Surface | 0 | 7.5 |
| Hillsboro, OR | City of Hillsboro | 92,632 | Bought (surface) | 0 | 1.1 |
| Portland, OR | Portland Water Bureau | 666,200 | Surface | 1 | 21 |
| Gresham, OR | City of Gresham | 73,932 | Bought (surface) | 0 | 17.4 |
| Vancouver, WA | City of Vancouver | 373,047 | Ground | 0 | 2.2 |
Source: EPA SDWIS.
Water outage pages for nearby cities
Staying informed about water service in Salem
Sign up for alerts from City of Salem Public Works and check its website or social accounts when the water goes off. If a boil advisory is issued, the water outage guide covers how to treat water and when it is safe again.
Salem quick answers about water service
Who do I call about no water in Salem?
City of Salem Public Works at 503-588-6311, day or night. Use 911 only if a main break is flooding property or roads.
Is Salem water from a river, lake or well?
Per EPA, the water system for Salem (Salem Public Works) is classed as surface water. It draws from the North Santiam River and I.G. / Roughing Filter #1.
Is the water in Salem safe?
EPA lists no health-based violations for Salem Public Works since 2015, and its latest 90th-percentile lead result is 2 ppb against the 15 ppb action level. After a boil water notice, follow it until the utility lifts it.
When do water mains break most in Salem?
Cold weather drives most breaks in Salem, which averages about 34 freezing days a year. Expect the most calls from November through January, especially a day or two after a hard freeze when the ground thaws.
What causes low water pressure in Salem?
Check whether neighbors have the same problem. If they do, it is probably a main break, a pump problem or evening demand, and City of Salem Public Works should hear about it. If not, the cause is likely inside your own plumbing.
When will a boil water notice be lifted in Salem?
Plan on one to two days after pressure is back. City of Salem Public Works samples the water, waits for clean lab results and then lifts the notice, with the Oregon Health Authority Drinking Water Services overseeing the steps.
How much drinking water should I keep at home in Salem?
One gallon per person per day is the FEMA minimum. For Salem that means about 8 gallons to cover three days for an average household of 2.6, and 37 gallons for two weeks.
Does Salem have lead pipes?
It depends on the age of your home. About 32.2% of occupied homes in Salem were built before 1970, and lead service lines remained legal until 1986. Contact City of Salem Public Works about your address and flush the cold tap after any outage.
Where can I see water outages in Salem?
This page shows resident reports from Salem for the last 24 hours. For a street-by-street picture, use the alerts and outage page of City of Salem Public Works; many utilities also text boil notices.
More outage pages for Salem and nearby
Other outage types in Salem
Water Service Outages in cities near Salem
- Hillsboro, OR 40 mi · City of Hillsboro Water Department
- Portland, OR 44 mi · Portland Water Bureau
- Gresham, OR 48 mi · City of Gresham Water
- Vancouver, WA 51 mi · City of Vancouver Water
- Eugene, OR 62 mi · Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB)
- Tacoma, WA 162 mi · Tacoma Water
Report counts are user-submitted; other figures name their official source. How our data works
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