Why do we need this? Isn't Lane County's water some of the purest in the nation? Just look at the McKenzie River.

Answer

Actually, Lane County watersheds have lots of problems, but are not adequately monitored in order to know how bad it actually is. The much touted McKenzie River is being progressively degraded, visually showing problems like algae blooms and oil slicks. It now even has mercury contamination and other signs of serious problems and current regulations and protections are largely unenforced. Most other Lane County rivers are even worse off. Additionally, many rural Lane County residents do not have clean sources of drinking water that aren't contaminated with sediments, nitrates, pesticides and other toxins.