COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and the Corvallis Drinking Water Supply

The top priority of the City of Corvallis in all emergency situations is to protect public and employee health and safety while focusing on business continuity in order to deliver the essential services our community depends on. The coronavirus pandemic currently active in Oregon and across the country is no exception.

The Safety of the Corvallis Drinking Water System

The drinking water produced by the City of Corvallis is safe. The City’s existing drinking water treatment protocols inactivate waterborne pathogens, including viruses, which prevents them from contaminating drinking water.  Corvallis’s drinking water meets or exceeds all drinking water standards, including 4-log (99.99%) inactivation of viruses, as required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The City is also planning to maintain a critical level of water and wastewater service should this pandemic impact our workforce. The Public Works Department has many resources available to ensure our ability to provide service to customers, including a vast network of mutual aid from other utilities. We will do all we possibly can to ensure this pandemic is not made worse by any service interruptions.

The EPA has stated that coronavirus risk in treated drinking water supplies is low. For more information, please review this information released by the EPA on March 12, 2020.