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EPA SDWIS

Anchorage Municipality Water Quality

Anchorage Municipality, Alaska

Water Grade

C

Water Score

52.4

Violations

38

State Rank

#4

of 22 (1 = best)

EPA SDWIS Compliance

Drinking Water Quality

Water Quality Grade

C

Based on EPA compliance history and violation data

Water Score

52.4/100

Higher = better quality

Health Violations

38

Health-based violations

Violation Rate

13.1%

Systems with violations

Water Advisory: Anchorage Municipality

Water Verdict

Anchorage Municipality receives a below-average water quality assessment with a grade of C and a score of 52.4 out of 100. Residents should review their utility's Consumer Confidence Report and may want to consider additional water filtration for drinking.

Violation Context

Anchorage Municipality has recorded 38 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 13.1 violations per 1,000 residents, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Anchorage Municipality meets baseline standards, but residents who are immunocompromised or have young children may want to use an NSF-certified water filter as a precaution. With 38 recorded health violations, staying informed about utility communications and boil-water notices is especially important. For long-term peace of mind, request your utility's latest Consumer Confidence Report and consider independent water testing if you have specific health concerns.

Regional Context

Anchorage Municipality has better water quality than the average county in Alaska. Its water score is 32.6 points higher than the state average, indicating stronger water system performance relative to neighboring counties.

Clean Water Act §303(d)

Watershed Health

Impaired Water Bodies

16.7%

1 of 6 assessed

Some impairment

Top Impairment Causes

  • 1

    LEAD IN SEDIMENT

  • 2

    CONTAMINATED SEDIMENTS (PAHS)

  • 3

    ZINC IN SEDIMENT

Source: EPA ATTAINS · Reporting cycle 2022

Impairment is determined under the Clean Water Act §303(d): a water body is impaired when it fails to meet state-defined quality standards for designated uses (drinking, recreation, aquatic life). Assessment coverage varies by state — counties without assessed water bodies are not shown.

Live USGS Streamgage

River & Stream Conditions

Current Discharge

84.5cfs

May 14, 7:00 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

57%

Well below typical

Primary Streamgage

SHIP C NR ANCHORAGE AK

USGS site
15276000
Drainage area
89.6 sq mi
Long-term mean
149 cfs

One representative streamgage (the one with the largest drainage area in the county). Many counties have multiple gauges — this view summarizes the primary one. The long-term mean is the full-record annual average; "% of typical" compares the latest reading against that average.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the water quality in Anchorage Municipality, Alaska?
Anchorage Municipality, Alaska has a drinking-water quality grade of C with a score of 52.4/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 38 health-based drinking water violations over the past 5 years. Watershed health, monitoring records, and live streamflow are reported separately on this page.
Are there any water violations in Anchorage Municipality?
Anchorage Municipality has 38 health-based drinking water violations recorded by the EPA over the past 5 years. Health-based violations indicate instances where contaminant levels exceeded EPA Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs). Violations may have been resolved — check with your local water utility for current status.
How healthy are the watersheds in Anchorage Municipality?
EPA ATTAINS assessments under Clean Water Act §303(d) indicate 16.7% of Anchorage Municipality's 6 assessed water bodies are classified as impaired (1 impaired). The top reported causes are LEAD IN SEDIMENT, CONTAMINATED SEDIMENTS (PAHS), ZINC IN SEDIMENT. Impairment means the water body fails to meet state quality standards for at least one designated use — drinking water source, recreation, aquatic life, or fish consumption. Note: watershed impairment doesn't always translate to tap-water issues; treatment plants can remove most regulated contaminants.
What's happening with rivers in Anchorage Municipality right now?
Anchorage Municipality's primary USGS streamgage on the SHIP C is currently reading 84.5 cubic feet per second — 57% of the long-term mean of 149.19 cfs. This is well below typical — often a signal of drought stress on source water. For genuine real-time data, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Anchorage Municipality water compare to the Alaska average?
Anchorage Municipality's SDWIS water quality score of 52.4/100 is higher than the Alaska state average of 19.8. The average water quality grade across Alaska is F, based on data from 22 counties with available SDWIS data.
Is tap water safe to drink in Anchorage Municipality?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Anchorage Municipality has a water quality grade of C (52.4/100). This indicates moderate compliance. Some violations have been recorded but overall standards are maintained. The grade speaks to the public water system, not the watershed — for watershed-level concerns, see the Watershed Health zone. For the most up-to-date information, contact your local water utility or review your Consumer Confidence Report (CCR).
Why does Anchorage Municipality have so many water violations?
Anchorage Municipality has 38 health-based drinking water violations on record from the EPA SDWIS database. A higher violation count can result from aging infrastructure, underfunded water utilities, agricultural runoff contamination, or industrial pollution. Counties with more water systems may also see more violations simply due to scale. Residents concerned about water quality should consider independent water testing and home filtration systems.
How does Anchorage Municipality rank for water quality in Alaska?
Anchorage Municipality ranks #4 out of 22 counties in Alaska by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 52.4/100, it falls in the top third of counties statewide. The ranking reflects EPA SDWIS compliance only — not watershed impairment, monitoring density, or streamflow, which are tracked separately on this page.

Counties with Similar Water Quality

North Slope Borough

Alaska

C

53.7

Water score

Fairbanks North Star Borough

Alaska

D

47.8

Water score

Juneau City and Borough

Alaska

C

62.0

Water score

Data Sources

Drinking-water compliance data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) via the ECHO enforcement database. Scores reflect compliance history and health-based violation counts.

Watershed health and impaired-waterway data from the EPA ATTAINS Clean Water Act §303(d) assessments — state-reported, EPA-finalized.

Live streamflow from the USGS National Water Information System (NWIS) — continuous discharge measurements from the largest-drainage gauge in each county, compared against the full-record long-term annual mean.

Disclaimer: This data is informational only. It is not health, legal, or professional advice. For concerns about your specific water supply, contact your local water utility.

By Logan Johnson, Founder & Data EditorUpdated Reviewed by Logan Johnson, Founder & Data Editor

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