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EPA SDWIS

Lee County Water Quality

Lee County, Arkansas

Water Grade

F

Water Score

2.5

Violations

134

State Rank

#74

of 75 (1 = best)

EPA SDWIS Compliance

Drinking Water Quality

Water Quality Grade

F

Based on EPA compliance history and violation data

Water Score

2.5/100

Higher = better quality

Health Violations

134

Health-based violations

Violation Rate

1509.5%

Systems with violations

Water Advisory: Lee County

Water Verdict

Lee County receives a poor water quality assessment with a grade of F and a score of 2.5 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

Lee County has recorded 134 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 1509.5 violations per 1,000 residents, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Residents of Lee County 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 134 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

Lee County has poorer water quality than the average county in Arkansas. Its water score is 45.1 points lower than the state average, suggesting more challenges with contamination control or infrastructure than neighboring counties.

Clean Water Act §303(d)

Watershed Health

Impaired Water Bodies

21.0%

83 of 395 assessed

Some impairment

Top Impairment Causes

  • 1

    TURBIDITY - BASE FLOWS

  • 2

    DISSOLVED OXYGEN - CRITICAL

  • 3

    TURBIDITY - STORM FLOWS

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.

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

6

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

2.7K

2,674 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Inorganics, Minor, Metals
  • Nutrient

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).

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the water quality in Lee County, Arkansas?
Lee County, Arkansas has a drinking-water quality grade of F with a score of 2.5/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 134 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 Lee County?
Lee County has 134 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 Lee County?
EPA ATTAINS assessments under Clean Water Act §303(d) indicate 21.0% of Lee County's 395 assessed water bodies are classified as impaired (83 impaired). The top reported causes are TURBIDITY - BASE FLOWS, DISSOLVED OXYGEN - CRITICAL, TURBIDITY - STORM FLOWS. 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.
How much water-quality monitoring happens in Lee County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 2,674 measurements from 6 monitoring sites in Lee County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Inorganics, Minor, Metals, Nutrient. 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.
How does Lee County water compare to the Arkansas average?
Lee County's SDWIS water quality score of 2.5/100 is lower than the Arkansas state average of 47.6. The average water quality grade across Arkansas is D, based on data from 75 counties with available SDWIS data.
Is tap water safe to drink in Lee County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Lee County has a water quality grade of F (2.5/100). 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 Lee County have so many water violations?
Lee County has 134 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 Lee County rank for water quality in Arkansas?
Lee County ranks #74 out of 75 counties in Arkansas by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 2.5/100, 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

Montgomery County

Arkansas

F

1.0

Water score

Newton County

Arkansas

F

4.7

Water score

Yell County

Arkansas

F

5.0

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.

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.

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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