Medford Water oversees two watersheds:
- Big Butte Springs, a groundwater resource,
- Rogue River, a surface water resource.
To accomplish our mission of safeguarding public health by providing a reliable, high-quality water supply at the best value—we maintain active and strategic management of these areas.
Source water protection is an important first step of assuring safe drinking water, because starting with the best possible quality source water helps assure that water treatment can be effective and efficient at all times. This protection is accomplished by effective state public health programs, environmental protection, land use policies, proactive land stewardship, and by implementation of local drinking water protection efforts. The susceptibility of the public drinking water system source depends on both the natural conditions in the watershed as well as the activities that take place in the watershed.
View the assessment of the contamination susceptibility our watershed areas below.
![Updated Source water assessment pdf from March 2018](https://www.medfordwater.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/3-4-5-Source-Water-Protection-Photo-Assessment-794x1024.png)
Source Water Assessment
An updated Source Water Assessment has been completed for the Rogue River. This assessment identifies the watershed areas providing source drinking water for Medford Water, as well as the potential origins of regulated and certain unregulated contaminants in the watershed. The Assessment is used to determine the susceptibility of the Medford Water system to contamination.
Big Butte Springs Wellhead Protection Plan
A Wellhead Protection Plan has been completed for Big Butte Springs. This kind of protection program is designed to protect a well or wellfield from contamination. This includes protection of the surface and subsurface area surrounding the well or wellfield, referred to as the “Wellhead Protection Area.” The Big Butte Springs program protects water quality through proper management of sources and activities within the protection area, and is preventative in nature, in that it attempts to prevent groundwater contamination problems before they occur.
For more information, contact our office.