Salem has returned to normal drinking-water operations after briefly supplementing its system with water from the City of Keizer during a stretch of storm-driven river conditions that reduced production at Salem’s main treatment plant.
City officials said Salem stopped drawing water from Keizer on Dec. 30 after taking in about 25 million gallons since Dec. 23 to help meet customer demand. The city said drinking water remained safe throughout the temporary change.
The short-term shift came after recent storms increased muddiness in the North Santiam River, limiting production capabilities at Salem’s Geren Island Water Treatment Facility, the city’s primary drinking-water plant. To stabilize distribution, Salem activated several backup sources at the same time — including groundwater wells at Geren Island and its Aquifer Storage and Recovery facility — while also pumping water from Keizer’s groundwater-based system.
During the Dec. 23 connection, Salem warned that some customers — particularly in West Salem — could notice a change in taste, odor or color as the two communities’ supplies blended. Keizer’s drinking water comes from groundwater, while Salem relies primarily on surface water from the North Santiam River.
City officials said the Keizer intertie is expected to be used again in late January 2026, when Salem plans to test a newly completed pump station tied to a second connection to Keizer’s supply. The city said the planned test is intended to mirror conditions staff expect to face during a major Detroit Reservoir drawdown planned for late fall or early winter 2026 — an event city leaders have described as a key risk to Salem’s ability to treat river water for weeks at a time.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which operates Detroit Dam, has said the deeper drawdown is tied to federal requirements aimed at improving downstream passage for Endangered Species Act-protected fish. The National Marine Fisheries Service issued a biological opinion on Dec. 26, 2024, that included a deeper fall drawdown at Detroit Reservoir to support fish passage, according to the Corps.
Salem officials said the drawdown is expected to increase suspended sediment — fine particles such as clay and silt — in the North Santiam River downstream of the dam. Prolonged high sediment levels can force the city to reduce or stop drawing river water because it can interfere with treatment operations at Geren Island, the city said. During that period, Salem expects to rely on alternative sources, including groundwater wells, the Aquifer Storage and Recovery facility, and emergency supplies through the Keizer connection.
The Corps has also highlighted public review of its draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement examining drawdown-related changes and potential effects on water quality and nearby communities, with the agency extending the public comment deadline into January 2026.
Residents with questions about drinking water can contact Salem Public Works Dispatch at 503-588-6311, city officials said.
