For nearly a century, the City of Bend has been providing high-quality drinking water to residents, businesses, and visitors. From source-to-meter, the City works to protect our supplies, treat and clean our water, and maintain a network of pipes, storage reservoirs, and other facilities to deliver safe, reliable drinking water to customers’ taps.

Since 1926, the Bend Municipal Watershed has been the City’s primary water source. Surface water from Prowell Springs (image below) flows by gravity down Bridge Creek through the mountains and valleys making its way to our Bridge Creek Intake Facility. We work closely with the U.S. Forest Service to make sure this high-quality surface water source stays protected.

At the intake facility (image below), we continuously monitor water quality, temperature, and levels to protect and better understand our watershed. From the intake, surface water travels by gravity through a 10-mile pipe under Skyliner Road to the Outback Water Filtration Facility (Stop 2).

Looking for more?

• Watch “A history of surface water rights in Bend” (click link and scroll down)

The City manages a robust treatment system to provide clean, safe drinking water and protect against future water quality risks. The Outback Water Filtration Facility is where pathogens and turbidity (sediment suspended in water) are filtered from our drinking water. Our membrane filtration system filters up to 11.8 million gallons per day and uses multiple steps to remove particles too small for the naked eye to see. We also add a small amount of chlorine to deactivate viruses and bacteria while keeping our network of storage tanks and pipelines clean.

Staff maintaining membrane filter racks (above). Surface water treatment process map (below).

Looking forward, the City is planning to install pre-treatment at the Water Filtration Facility to improve system resilience to potential water quality events in the watershed like the 1979 Bridge Creek Fire.

Looking for more?

•  Learn about Bend's water quality and testing

The City has a second high-quality water source that provides supply resilience for our growing high-desert community. During the summer months, we pump from deep groundwater wells connected to the Deschutes Regional Aquifer to supplement our water supply and meet peak demands.

We maintain eight groundwater facilities with 20 active wells and large pumps to bring water to the surface. Our groundwater is naturally filtered by layers of soil, volcanic rock, sand, and gravel. We add small amounts of chlorine disinfection when the water is pumped to make it safe to drink.

Powerful pumps pull groundwater from deep wells into pipes and reservoirs throughout the City.

Looking for more?

• Water Conservation Resources
• Understanding Upper Deschutes Basin Groundwater Levels (White Paper-9/2022)

The City maintains a network of pipelines and storage reservoirs to reliably deliver clean and safe water to homes, schools, businesses, and fire hydrants throughout Bend. Our system includes 15 storage reservoirs, 6 active booster pump stations, and about 440 miles of water pipes.

Our storage reservoirs are located on hills so that gravity helps produce consistent water pressure throughout the system. Combined, our reservoirs store up to 30 million gallons of water to serve the daily needs of our community and provide backup in case of fires or other emergencies.

Outback campus: (left to right) filtration facility, chlorine contact basin and three reservoirs.
Photo credit: Scott Nelson

Looking for more?

• Investing in the Water System

From source-to-meter, Bend’s water is protected, filtered and monitored to make sure the water we drink is clean, safe, and reliable. The City’s water system provides drinking water 24/7 to about 25,500 service connections and 67,000 customers to serve residents, businesses, and visitors alike.

Looking for more?

• Visit the Customer Welcome page
• Read the Annual Water Quality Report
• Sign up for WaterSmart - Water isn't all you'll Save!

Planning for the Future

Bend is taking steps to plan for a reliable water future, including projects to enhance system resilience and ongoing efforts to improve water efficiency and help sustain supplies for our growing high-desert community.

• Outback Expansion Fact Sheet
• In-conduit Hydro Feasibility Study Fact Sheet
• In-conduit Hydro Feasibility Study-2024
• Outback Siting Study - 2021

The planning and investment we make today will help ensure safe, reliable water for current and future generations.

Check out these additional resources to learn more:

PLANNING AND IMPROVING

• Long-term Water Resources Planning: evaluating what steps are needed to continue providing reliable, high-quality water to Bend.
• Investing in the Water System: using data to make decisions about when and where improvements are needed.
• Improving Water Efficiency: prioritizing water efficiency to help save water and infrastructure dollars.

 PARTNERSHIPS AND PREPARATION

• Regional Partnerships: collaborating regionally to be responsible stewards and help protect and sustain our water resources.
• Drought Information and Preparedness: managing our two water sources to help provide climate and fire resilience. 

Thirsty for some fun?

Answer the trivia questions below to test your knowledge of Bend’s drinking water system.

1. Where does Bend’s drinking water come from? 
   a) Municipal watershed 
   b) Snow in the Cascades
   c) Regional aquifer 
   d) All of the above
   
   
2. What portion of Bend’s water supply is from surface water versus groundwater?

   a) 10%
   b) 70%
   c) 80%
   d) 30%

3. What does the City monitor at the intake facility?
   a) Water quality
   b) Water temperature
   c) Water levels
   d) All of the above
   
   
4. What does the City do to make sure water is safe to drink?
   a) Source protection
   b) Filtration and disinfection
   c) Laboratory testing
   d) All of the above
   
   
5.  What’s the smallest particle our membrane filters can remove?
   a) 2.1 millimeters
   b) 0.1 microns
   c) 0.075 centimeters
   d) 350 microns
   
   
6. Why does Bend treat water with chlorine disinfection? 
   a) Deactivates viruses
   b) Keeps pipes clean
   c) Helps prevent waterborne illnesses
   d) All of the above 
   
   
7. Where does Bend store drinking water?
   a) In reservoirs on hills
   b) In a lake in the mountains
   c) Underground
   d) All of the above
   
   
8. How old are the oldest parts of Bend’s water system? 
   a) Less than 20 years
   b) About 60 years
   c) Nearly 100 years
   d) Almost 150 years
   
   
9. How many customers does Bend provide water to? 
   a) 150,000
   b) 25,000
   c) 67,000 
   d) 58,000

(Download pdf and check your answers) 

Have something on your mind?

Check out these frequently asked questions about Bend’s drinking water.

• Where does Bend’s water come from?
  The City has two high-quality water sources. Our primary supply is surface water from the Bend Municipal Watershed in the Deschutes National Forest. The City also uses groundwater from the Deschutes Regional Aquifer to help meet peak season demands. Each year, the porous Upper Deschutes Basin readily absorbs both snowmelt and rainfall and recharges the Deschutes Regional Aquifer.
  
  
• Where can I learn more about water quality?
  The City takes steps to protect, treat, and test our water to make sure it meets the highest standards. Each year, the City publishes a Water Quality Report with detailed information about water quality testing results. Community members can also sign up to tour our Water Filtration Facility and see firsthand how our treatment process works.
   
• What steps are taken to plan long-term?
  The City routinely undergoes planning work to identify what is needed to maintain reliability of our drinking water system and supplies. In 2021, we completed an Integrated Water System Master Plan that used a data-driven approach and brought together conservation, operations, and economic analyses to help plan for the next 20 years.
   
• Does Bend have enough water for our growing community?
  Based on recent planning and modeling analyses, the City’s current water supplies and rights are sufficient to meet projected 2040 demands. The City’s WaterWise Program and doing more with less will continue to be an important part of the City’s approach to maintaining a reliable supply of high-quality drinking water.
  
  
• How resilient are Bend’s water supplies to environmental changes like drought?
  The City of Bend is lucky to have two high-quality drinking water sources that provide enhanced supply resilience. Managed together, our surface water and groundwater supplies, along with a commitment to water conservation and efficiency, position the City to continue meeting residential, commercial, and industrial needs during all water years–including drought years.  

• What steps can customers take to manage water use?
  The City has a variety of guides, tools and free resources to help customers improve indoor and outdoor water efficiency. This includes the WaterSmart tool, a free resource that allows customers to track and make decisions about their individual water use.

We hope you enjoyed learning about the City of Bend’s water system.

Additional customer resources:

• Utility Customer Welcome page
• WaterWiseTips.org
• Educational Resources
• Emergency Preparedness Resources 

Stay informed:

• Sign up for the Bend Current