Water Division

Yes! All underground irrigation systems require the installation of an approved backflow prevention device per Oregon Administrative Rules and Oregon Uniform Plumbing Code.

The backflow prevention device must be tested at least once annually pursuant to Oregon Administrative Rules.

Yes. A plumbing permit is required for all new installations and when altering existing plumbing. A permit may be obtained from the Klamath County Building Department, 305 Main Street, 1st Floor; phone: (541) 883-5121.

Water meters and services up to 2" are installed by the City. A service request must be submitted to the City Engineering Division located at 226 South 5th Street, Second Floor. Fees must be paid and specific location information completed before City crews will be dispatched to install a water service and/or meter. Fees will vary depending on meter size. Should you have questions about fees, please contact the Engineering Division at (541) 883-5368.

The City of Klamath Falls maintains approximately 231 miles of water mainline ranging in sizes from 2" to 20". The City also maintains 980 fire hydrants, 13 ground water wells, 22 water pumping stations and 22 water storage reservoirs with 16 million gallons of storage capacity throughout the water system.

The City of Klamath Falls Water Division currently has approximately 16,000 service connections to residential, commercial and industrial customers.

In 2006, the City of Klamath Falls Water Division started a systematic in-house mater replacement program in an effort to replace old, inaccurate meters that have been in service for 20 to 40 years or more. As part of the program, personnel have been testing approximately 30% of the removed meters to determine the accuracy of the old meters. 72% of the pulled meters tested at various flow ranges using industry standards failed to accurately register water being delivered to the customer. Every failed meter was registering less water than was actually being delivered. This translates into unaccounted for water loss and loss of revenue for the City. Additional benefits of this program also include less time spent reading meters, fewer reading and billing errors and fewer man hours servicing, repairing and replacing old meters.

In 2006, the City of Klamath Falls Water Division produced 2.8 billion gallons of water with a maximum day production of 16.3 million gallons. 2.4 billion gallons of water was delivered to the customer through metered service connections. The .4 billion gallon difference is unaccounted for water loss due to leakage, inaccurate meters, emergency use such as fire suppression and theft of water through hydrants or disconnected services.

The City of Klamath Falls Water Division regularly collects potable water samples to be analyzed for 123+ listed potential contaminates as required by the Safe Drinking Water Act, the EPA and the Oregon Department of Human Services Drinking Water Program. Samples are analyzed for microbiological, organic, inorganic and radiological contaminates. Maximum Contaminate Levels (MCL) are established for each contaminate based on the impact to human health. The City water has consistently tested absent for microbiological contamination and has not exceeded an MCL for organic, inorganic or radiological contamination.

The City is required by Oregon State Law to maintain a minimum of 20 pounds per square inch (psi) water pressure at all times.

Current City Engineering Construction Standards require a minimum of 42 psi, however, in older existing area pressures may be lower due to undersized piping, area water demands and location/elevation of the service area.

A standard residential water meter is 5/8" and will flow up to 20 gallons of water per minute. The average home uses 314 gallons per day and 690 gallons per day during peak demand periods.

• A fire hydrant has been opened in a localized area.
• Construction in a localized area.
• Increased seasonal demands in localized area.
• Naturally occurring minerals in the water source. - Increased water velocity in the water lines may dislodge mineral sediment and/or pipe scale causing brown or reddish brown water. White deposits on faucets or other fixtures are generally caused by calcium carbonate which is a natural occurring mineral in the water. The amount of calcium carbonate in the water determines how hard or soft the water is and the City water tends to be soft or moderately soft throughout the system. The water is safe to drink, however a discolored water condition can cause staining of laundry or some plumbing fixtures.