Relating to exempt wells that supply ground water for domestic purposes.
HB 3525 creates a new landlord duty for certain rental dwelling units that rely on exempt wells for drinking water and are located within a groundwater management area. Beginning January 1, 2027, landlords must collect and test drinking water for specified contaminants, including arsenic, coliform bacteria, lead, and nitrates, using accredited laboratories and following Oregon Health Authority procedures. The bill requires initial arsenic testing within 30 days of installing an exempt well, annual testing for contaminants unless a longer interval applies after repeated successful results, and more frequent retesting if a test shows contamination above federal standards.
The bill also requires landlords to give tenants written notice before a rental agreement is signed, provide test results within 30 days, and supply a health-information handout if contamination is found. The Oregon Health Authority must adopt rules and forms to implement the program and will receive electronic test results from laboratories. The bill excludes certain regulated premises, and it limits how the authority may use the collected information, including a statement that the data is not quality-controlled for location-specific groundwater analysis. A one-time transition provision requires landlords to sample and test for all contaminants before June 1, 2027, for units already subject to the law when it takes effect.
HB 3525 amends Oregon landlord-tenant law in ORS chapter 90 by imposing water-testing, disclosure, and retesting obligations on landlords whose rental units depend on exempt wells in groundwater management areas. It creates new compliance duties for landlords, new reporting obligations for laboratories, and new rulemaking responsibilities for the Oregon Health Authority. The bill is phased in, with the operative date set for January 1, 2027, and a special initial testing requirement for existing covered units before June 1, 2027.
The bill appears to have broad overall support, passing both chambers with clear majorities, though not unanimously. Committee votes were also favorable, including a 9-0 committee action early in the process and later committee approvals with only one dissenting vote in each chamber’s policy committee. Floor votes in the House and Senate showed some opposition, suggesting general agreement on the public-health purpose but not complete consensus on the details or burden of implementation.
The main points of contention likely centered on the regulatory and cost burden placed on landlords, especially those with rural properties or exempt wells, versus the public-health need to protect tenants from contaminated drinking water. The bill’s requirements for repeated testing, tenant notice, laboratory reporting, and follow-up retesting after a failed result create ongoing compliance obligations that may be viewed as significant by property owners. Another likely issue was the scope of the law, including its application only in groundwater management areas and its exclusion of certain already-regulated premises, as well as the use and limits of the data collected by the Oregon Health Authority.