At McMinnville Water & Light, we understand an abundant source of clean, safe drinking water is essential to our community’s overall quality of life. A secure, reliable water system is important to protect public health, provide fire protection, and support continued community development and economic growth. McMinnville Water & Light continues our commitment to provide our customers with a safe, reliable supply of great-tasting water at an excellent value.
Frequently Asked Questions
McMinnville Water &Light (MWL) has to follow a strict set of rules from both the state and federal levels when providing drinking water to the public. Water utilities using surface water sources are required to implement a disinfection process to protect consumers from microbial contaminants such as bacteria and viruses. One of the most common disinfection methods used is the addition of Sodium Hypochlorite (chlorine), which is used by MWL. The regulatory Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of chlorine in drinking water is 4.0 mg/L. The typical chlorine residual maintained within MWL’s distribution system (customer homes) ranges between 0.2 – 1.2 mg/L. This chlorine residual test is performed daily at both our Water Treatment Plant and our distribution system.
We do not want to lower our chlorine residual as it is an important process to keep our water safe for consumption to the City of McMinnville. A step you can take to help alleviate some of the smell and/or taste of chlorine is to turn on any fixtures (i.e faucets, outdoor water spigots, showers) and let them run for a period of time. This will help flush your homes plumbing system and bring in fresh water into your home. If the water sits in your plumbing system for periods of time without any use, it can trap the smell of chlorine in your pipes and be discharged when the faucet is turned back on. Please don’t hesitate to call our office at 503-472-6158 or read more on our website (www.mc-power.com) for more information about your drinking water.
Backflow prevention assemblies help protect the public water system from possible contamination from non-potable water sources, such as lawn irrigation, boilers, fire sprinkler systems, wells, pools, hot tubs, commercial equipment, and medical equipment. The State of Oregon requires backflow prevention assemblies on any water service that has the potential to contaminate public drinking water. All backflow prevention assemblies are required to be tested annually by a certified tester. For more information, visit our website at https://www.mc-power.com/water/water-quality/backflow-prevention/
What is the water pressure at my house?
McMinnville’s water system operates by gravity. The system water pressure is influenced by the hydraulic characteristics of the water system. Water pressure at the customer’s meter is normally 85-100 pounds per square inch (psi). Most water services have a pressure reducing valve (PRV) installed after the meter to reduce the pressure entering the private plumbing system. Most pressure problems are caused by missing or failing PRVs. PRVs are part of the private plumbing system and are maintained by property owners.
McMinnville’s water is soft. The hardness of water refers to water’s ability to produce suds with soap. The harder the water, the more soap is needed to produce lather. Surface water from the Pacific Northwest is some of the softest water in the country.
McMinnville Water & Light processes sewer charges for the City of McMinnville. Residential sewer charges are based on water usage during the months of November through March.
For water quality or pressure concerns, please call us at 503-472-6158. If you have an emergency when the office is closed, we can be reached at the same number.
