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County water report

Bethel Census Area Water Report

Drinking-water compliance, watershed health, monitoring records, and river conditions for Bethel Census Area, Alaska.

Water grade

F

Water score

1.2

State rank

#18

of 22

Health violations

400

EPA SDWIS, 5-year lookback

Watershed impaired

Not reported

EPA ATTAINS coverage varies by state

Monitoring sites

45

691 recent measurements

Live streamflow

35%

KUSKOKWIM R AT CROOKED CREEK AK

Water at a glance

Key Water Indicators for Bethel Census Area

EPA SDWIS

Safety Grade

F

Score: 1.2 / 100

EPA SDWIS

Active Violations

400

5-year health-based lookback

EPA ATTAINS

Watershed Health

Not reported

Coverage varies by state

USGS NWIS

Streamflow Snapshot

35% of mean

KUSKOKWIM R AT CROOKED CREEK AK

EPA WQP

Monitoring Sites

45

691 recent readings

Source: EPA SDWIS · Safe Drinking Water Information System

Drinking Water Compliance

Compliance grade

F

Based on EPA SDWIS compliance history.

Water score

Higher scores indicate cleaner recent compliance records.

1.2/100

Health violations

400

Health-based violations

Violations per 100K served

2698.0

Population-normalized SDWIS rate

Editorial analysis

Understanding Bethel Census Area’s Water

Drinking Water Quality Overview

EPA SDWIS

Bethel Census Area's water systems carry a failing grade, scoring 1.2 out of 100. Over the past five years, EPA SDWIS records 400 health-based violations — a pattern that public water utilities are required to disclose and correct.

River & Streamflow Status

USGS NWIS

USGS NWIS gauge data (as of 2026-04-22T20:30:00.000-08:00) puts KUSKOKWIM R at 14.9k cfs — well below its long-term average at 35% of mean — low-flow conditions worth noting for water-dependent ecosystems. Streamflow is a leading indicator of drought stress, sediment load, and dilution capacity: low flows concentrate pollutants and warm water temperatures, stressing aquatic life and, in surface-water-dependent systems, the source water quality for treatment plants.

Monitoring Network

EPA WQP

EPA's Water Quality Portal (WQP) aggregates monitoring data from federal, state, and tribal agencies. Bethel Census Area has moderate coverage with 45 active monitoring sites with 691 recent measurements on record. Predominant monitoring categories include physical and inorganics, major, metals. More monitoring sites generally indicate greater scientific attention to local water conditions — and provide the baseline data that regulators use to set future impairment listings.

Editorial advisory

What the data suggests for Bethel Census Area

Water Verdict

Bethel Census Area receives a poor water quality assessment with a grade of F and a score of 1.2 out of 100. The water supply has documented quality issues. Residents are strongly encouraged to use filtered or bottled water for drinking and to stay informed about utility improvement plans.

Violation Context

Bethel Census Area has recorded 400 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 2698.0 violations per 100,000 people served, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Bethel Census Area has a Grade F compliance record with 400 health-based violations — among the highest levels in the country. Bethel Census Area's drinking-water compliance score is 1.2 out of 100. Residents are strongly advised to use a certified NSF 58 reverse-osmosis filter or bottled water for all drinking and cooking until violations are corrected. Contacting the Alaska Department of Environmental Quality or Health can expedite utility compliance action. With 45 active water-quality monitoring sites in Bethel Census Area, data coverage is strong. A pipeline streamflow snapshot from the KUSKOKWIM R gauge is also available on this page.

Regional Context

Bethel Census Area has poorer water quality than the average county in Alaska. Its water score is 18.6 points lower than the state average, suggesting more challenges with contamination control or infrastructure than neighboring counties.

Advisory text summarizes county-level public records and is not a replacement for your utility's current Consumer Confidence Report or direct local notices.

Contaminants & Resources

Key issues flagged in Bethel Census Area's water environment

Official EPA Resources for Bethel Census Area

EPA How's My Waterway

Interactive watershed health data for Bethel Census Area

EPA ECHO: Drinking Water Systems

Search water utilities and violation records for Bethel Census Area

Consumer Confidence Reports (AK)

Annual water quality reports from utilities in Alaska

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

45

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

691

691 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Inorganics, Major, Metals
  • Inorganics, Major, Non-metals

Categories measured most frequently

Data from the EPA Water Quality Portal (WQP), aggregating monitoring records from federal, state, and tribal sources. Each measurement represents a single sample analyzed for a specific characteristic (e.g., E. coli, pH, dissolved oxygen, nitrogen).

Live USGS Streamgage

River & Stream Conditions

Current Discharge

14.9Kcfs

Apr 23, 4:30 AM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

35%

Well below typical

Primary Streamgage

KUSKOKWIM R AT CROOKED CREEK AK

USGS site
15304000
Drainage area
31,100 sq mi
Long-term mean
42.7K 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; the percent-of-typical value compares the latest reading against that average.

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Water Cost Estimate

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Annual Total

$558

Monthly

$47

Water Bill

$558/yr

Filter Cost

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Safety Grade for Bethel Census Area:F — Failing

High violation count or severe watershed conditions.

Estimates use the national average residential water rate ($0.0068/gal, EPA/AWWA 2023) and EPA WaterSense per-person consumption baseline (75 gal/person/day). Actual bills vary by utility, usage tier, and local infrastructure fees. For informational purposes only.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the water quality in Bethel Census Area, Alaska?
Bethel Census Area, Alaska has a drinking-water quality grade of F with a score of 1.2/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 400 health-based drinking water violations over the past 5 years. Watershed health, monitoring records, and streamflow snapshots are reported separately on this page.
Are there any water violations in Bethel Census Area?
Bethel Census Area has 400 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 much water-quality monitoring happens in Bethel Census Area?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 691 measurements from 45 monitoring sites in Bethel Census Area over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Inorganics, Major, Metals, Inorganics, Major, Non-metals. Each measurement is a single sample analyzed for one characteristic (E. coli, pH, dissolved oxygen, etc.). High monitoring density means more scientific evidence behind any reported signal — it does not by itself indicate water quality.
What's happening with rivers in Bethel Census Area right now?
Bethel Census Area's primary USGS streamgage on the KUSKOKWIM R has a pipeline snapshot of 14,900 cubic feet per second — 35% of the long-term mean of 42,708.53 cfs. This is well below typical — often a signal of drought stress on source water. For the latest gauge feed, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Bethel Census Area water compare to the Alaska average?
Bethel Census Area's SDWIS water quality score of 1.2/100 is lower 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 Bethel Census Area?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Bethel Census Area has a water quality grade of F (1.2/100). This indicates below-average compliance with significant violations. Residents may want to consider home water filtration or independent testing. 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 Bethel Census Area have so many water violations?
Bethel Census Area has 400 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 Bethel Census Area rank for water quality in Alaska?
Bethel Census Area ranks #18 out of 22 counties in Alaska by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 1.2/100, it falls in the bottom 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

Bristol Bay Borough

Alaska

F

1.4

Water score

Nome Census Area

Alaska

F

1.0

Water score

Lake and Peninsula Borough

Alaska

F

0.7

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.

Water-quality monitoring counts from the EPA Water Quality Portal (WQP), federated USGS, EPA, and state agency sampling records over a rolling 5-year window.

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 Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

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