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Federal water data

County water report

Chugach Census Area Water Report

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

Water grade

N/A

Water score

N/A

State rank

N/A

Health violations

N/A

EPA SDWIS, 5-year lookback

Watershed impaired

0.0%

24 water bodies assessed

Monitoring sites

N/A

EPA Water Quality Portal

Live streamflow

84%

COPPER R AT MILLION DOLLAR BRIDGE NR CORDOVA AK

Water at a glance

Key Water Indicators for Chugach Census Area

EPA SDWIS

Safety Grade

N/A

Insufficient data

EPA SDWIS

Active Violations

N/A

5-year health-based lookback

EPA ATTAINS

Watershed Health

0% impaired

24 bodies assessed

USGS NWIS

Streamflow Snapshot

84% of mean

COPPER R AT MILLION DOLLAR BRIDGE NR CORDOVA AK

EPA WQP

Monitoring Sites

N/A

Rolling 5-year window

Source: EPA SDWIS · Safe Drinking Water Information System

Drinking Water Compliance

Editorial analysis

Understanding Chugach Census Area’s Water

Drinking Water Quality Overview

EPA SDWIS

Chugach Census Area has limited drinking water data on file. Violation data are unavailable for this county.

Watershed Conditions

EPA ATTAINS

Under the Clean Water Act §303(d), EPA ATTAINS tracks whether waterways meet quality standards for drinking, recreation, and aquatic life (reporting cycle: 2022). None of the assessed waterways are listed as impaired (0 of 24 water bodies) across Chugach Census Area's watersheds. Impairment does not mean tap water is unsafe — it measures ambient waterway conditions upstream of treatment, not finished drinking water.

River & Streamflow Status

USGS NWIS

USGS NWIS gauge data (as of 2026-05-14T10:45:00.000-08:00) puts COPPER R at 52.3k cfs — running somewhat below its historical average at 84% of mean. 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.

Editorial advisory

What the data suggests for Chugach Census Area

Water Verdict

Chugach Census Area does not have sufficient EPA SDWIS water quality data to determine an overall assessment. Residents should contact their local water utility for the most recent Consumer Confidence Report.

Violation Context

Health-based violation data is not available for Chugach Census Area. EPA health violations occur when water systems exceed allowable contaminant levels or fail to meet treatment requirements. Residents should request the latest Consumer Confidence Report from their water provider.

Consumer Guidance

Drinking-water compliance data is not yet available for Chugach Census Area in the EPA SDWIS system, which is common for rural areas and census areas served by private wells or small tribal systems. Residents should contact their local utility or state drinking-water agency for the most current Consumer Confidence Report. Using an NSF-certified filter (look for certifications against ANSI/NSF 53 or 58) can provide additional safety margin for any unconfirmed contaminants. A pipeline streamflow snapshot from the COPPER R gauge is also available on this page.

Regional Context

State-level water quality comparison data is not available for Chugach Census Area. When data is available, this section will show how the county's water quality compares to other counties in Alaska.

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

Clean Water Act §303(d)

Watershed Health

Impaired Water Bodies

0.0%

0 of 24 assessed

Mostly healthy

Top Impairment Causes

No specific impairment causes reported for the assessed water bodies in this county.

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

52.3Kcfs

May 14, 6:45 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

84%

Below typical

Primary Streamgage

COPPER R AT MILLION DOLLAR BRIDGE NR CORDOVA AK

USGS site
15214000
Drainage area
24,030 sq mi
Long-term mean
62.1K 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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Safety Grade for Chugach 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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Chugach Census Area has good water quality

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the water quality in Chugach Census Area, Alaska?
Chugach Census Area, Alaska has a drinking-water quality grade of N/A with a score of N/A/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. Compliance data is currently unavailable. Watershed health, monitoring records, and streamflow snapshots are reported separately on this page.
Are there any water violations in Chugach Census Area?
Violation data for Chugach Census Area is not currently available. Health-based violations indicate instances where contaminant levels exceeded EPA Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs).
How healthy are the watersheds in Chugach Census Area?
EPA ATTAINS assessments under Clean Water Act §303(d) indicate 0.0% of Chugach Census Area's 24 assessed water bodies are classified as impaired (0 impaired). 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 Chugach Census Area right now?
Chugach Census Area's primary USGS streamgage on the COPPER R has a pipeline snapshot of 52,300 cubic feet per second — 84% of the long-term mean of 62,146 cfs. Flow is within typical range for this gauge. For the latest gauge feed, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Chugach Census Area water compare to the Alaska average?
Chugach Census Area's SDWIS water quality score of N/A/100 is not available for comparison. 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 Chugach Census Area?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Chugach Census Area has a water quality grade of N/A (N/A/100). Insufficient data is available to fully assess compliance. 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).
Does Chugach Census Area have clean drinking water?
Chugach Census Area has no reported health-based drinking water violations according to EPA records. With a water quality score of N/A/100 and grade N/A, the county's drinking water has had some compliance issues but continues to be monitored. Note: drinking-water compliance speaks to the public water system, not necessarily to the watershed itself — check the Watershed Health zone for ATTAINS §303(d) data.
How is water quality measured?
WaterByCounty layers four federal datasets per county. The A–F drinking-water grade comes from EPA SDWIS (Safe Drinking Water Act compliance, 5-year violation lookback). The Watershed Health zone surfaces EPA ATTAINS §303(d) impairment data. The Monitoring zone summarizes EPA Water Quality Portal records. The Streamflow zone reports the latest USGS NWIS reading from the county's primary streamgage. Each is reported separately so you can see where the water is actually weakest.

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

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