The Oregon Health Authority is seeking public comment on a recently published draft health consultation report. The report details health risks from high levels of manganese and other contaminants found in domestic well water supplies north of Prineville.

Contaminants Found

The health consultation report indicates that water from nearly 60 domestic wells tested north of Prineville contains contaminants such as arsenic, nitrates and coliform bacteria, posing various health risks. These findings stem from water samples collected between fall 2024 and spring 2025.

Contractors for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality collected water samples from 58 domestic wells just north of Prineville. About half of these wells had detectable levels of lead, which is typically attributed to piping or plumbing in the houses themselves. Additionally, approximately half the wells contained manganese levels that cause stress and inconvenience for residents, such as bad taste, discoloration and cloudiness.

Seven of the wells had manganese levels high enough to pose health risks to children under one year old, were they to drink it. The report includes recommendations for households to mitigate risk and address contamination in their wells. These recommendations include seeking blood lead testing, especially for children, ensuring water treatment is in place and doing additional water testing to verify the effectiveness of treatment.

The Oregon Health Authority has already communicated well sampling results, along with health risk information, to residents of each household tested. The agency has also offered one-on-one consultations with its senior state toxicologist.

Public Comment

OHA’s involvement with public health work at this site began in late 2023. This was after Crook County commissioners convened a group of state agency representatives to address groundwater quality issues raised by their constituents. OHA was included in this group and collaborated with other state agencies, the Oregon Governor’s Office, county commissioners and the local county health department to plan a response.

The full health consultation report and access to other supporting material are available on the OHA website at www.oregon.gov/crookcowells. People with questions or comments about the health consultation and related documents can email [email protected] or call 971-673-0440.

The Oregon Health Authority will continue to accept public comments on its analysis of community health risks until Aug. 17, 2026.

Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.