waterbycounty
EPA SDWIS

Bethel Census Area Water Quality

Bethel Census Area, Alaska

Water Grade

F

Water Score

1.2

Violations

400

State Rank

#18

of 22 (1 = best)

EPA SDWIS Compliance

Drinking Water Quality

Water Quality Grade

F

Based on EPA compliance history and violation data

Water Score

1.2/100

Higher = better quality

Health Violations

400

Health-based violations

Violation Rate

2698.0%

Systems with violations

Water Advisory: 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 1,000 residents, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Residents of Bethel Census Area are advised to use filtered or bottled water for drinking and cooking until water quality improves. A reverse-osmosis or activated-carbon filter certified to remove the contaminants listed in the utility's Consumer Confidence Report is recommended. With 400 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

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.

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; "% of typical" compares the latest reading against that average.

Improve your water quality at home

Berkey filters remove 99.9%+ of contaminants from tap water.

Shop Berkey →

Sponsored

Test your tap water

Tap Score provides professional mail-in water testing.

Get Tested →

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 live streamflow 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 is currently reading 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 genuine real-time data, 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 Logan Johnson, Founder & Data EditorUpdated Reviewed by Logan Johnson, Founder & Data Editor

Explore more data for Bethel Census Area

Property TaxCost of LivingCrime RateIncomeHealthSchoolsDisaster RiskWeatherCounty Score