Legislature sends funds to Morrow County Clean Water Consortium
By Griffin Beach on Wednesday, July 2nd, 2025 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
BOARDMAN – The Oregon Legislature has allocated $2.861 million in project funding to the Morrow County Clean Water Consortium (MCCWC). MCCWC was organized to help provide access for safe drinking water to areas of Morrow County that have been affected by nitrate contamination.
Morrow County Administrator and MCCWC Managing Director Matthew Jensen says the first area they’d like to address is the West Glen neighborhood south of Boardman. Many properties in West Glen are affected by elevated nitrate levels in the water which is obtained from wells. Jensen says West Glen is a high priority because it is the highest density community with elevated nitrate levels.
The most discussed solution for West Glen by MCCWC has been to connect those residents to the city of Boardman’s water system. A release from MCCWC says that while that may be the simplest solution, they’re committed to collaborating with residents to explore all options. A community outreach meeting was held in June, and future ones are planned for August and September.
Drinking water in the Lower Umatilla Basin Groundwater Management area was brought up in several bills throughout the 2025 legislative session. Two that passed in the last week were Senate Bill 1154 which updates the way that state handles groundwater management areas, and House Bill 3525 which requires landlords using domestic wells in groundwater management areas to test the water and report results to tenants and the state.
