Oregon Department of Corrections is Managing Water Contamination for Salem Area Institutions

Salem city officials notified city residents and surrounding communities on May 29 that the water supply from Detroit Lake is contaminated by low level toxins caused by algae blooms.

The water supply at Salem area institutions (Oregon State Penitentiary, Oregon State Correctional Institution, Mill Creek Correctional Facility, and Santiam Correctional Institution) has been affected by this contamination. We have communicated with the adults in custody (AICs) at the affected institutions. AICs with compromised immune systems are being provided bottled water. The Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) Health Services staff will be available for any AICs who may be experiencing any symptoms related to the water contamination.

DOC employs 4,700 staff members at 14 institutions, two community corrections offices, and several centralized support facilities throughout the state. The agency is responsible for the care and custody of over 14,700 adults sentenced to more than 12 months of incarceration, and direct or indirect supervision of 31,000 offenders on felony supervision in the community. DOC is recognized nationally among correctional agencies for providing adults in custody with the cognitive, education, and job skills needed to become productive citizens when they transition back to their communities.