Emergency Water Restrictions Extended in Rogue Valley Communities

Medford, Oregon- Emergency water restrictions across the Rogue Valley will remain in place until further notice as officials work to address an equipment failure at the region’s main water treatment plant.

The restrictions, first ordered Monday, limit use to essential indoor needs such as drinking, cooking, showering, toilet use and laundry. Non-essential outdoor water use, including lawn irrigation, filling pools, washing cars, operating decorative fountains and construction use of hydrants, remains prohibited.

The Medford Water Commission said the treatment plant continues to operate at reduced capacity and cannot currently meet demand. Officials stressed that water remains safe to drink, but non-essential outdoor usage must be eliminated.

“These restrictions are mandatory,” the agency said in a notice Tuesday morning. The order applies not only to Medford customers, but also to properties in Central Point, Eagle Point, Phoenix, Talent, Jacksonville and White City.

Investigators are still working to determine the cause of the equipment failure.

5:10P Emergency water restrictions in Medford have been lifted effective immediately, officials announced Wednesday.

The restrictions, which were put in place Tuesday to preserve drinking water for essential and emergency use, had prohibited all non-essential outdoor water activities.

With the emergency resolved, both indoor and outdoor water use is now permitted without limitation.

“We thank our customers for their patience and for adhering to the restrictions,” Medford Water officials said in a statement. “It made a real difference in our ability to manage this emergency. The cooperation of our community in times like these is a valuable key to protecting the drinking water supply for essential indoor and emergency use.”