waterbycounty
EPA SDWIS

Washington County Water Quality

Washington County, Arkansas

Water Grade

C

Water Score

55.4

Violations

15

State Rank

#31

of 75 (1 = best)

EPA SDWIS Compliance

Drinking Water Quality

Water Quality Grade

C

Based on EPA compliance history and violation data

Water Score

55.4/100

Higher = better quality

Health Violations

15

Health-based violations

Violation Rate

10.1%

Systems with violations

Water Advisory: Washington County

Water Verdict

Washington County receives a fair water quality assessment with a grade of C and a score of 55.4 out of 100. The water supply meets baseline federal standards, but there may be periods of elevated contaminant levels or infrastructure concerns worth monitoring.

Violation Context

Washington County has recorded 15 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 10.1 violations per 1,000 residents, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Washington County 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 15 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

Washington County has better water quality than the average county in Arkansas. Its water score is 7.8 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

11.3%

41 of 364 assessed

Some impairment

Top Impairment Causes

  • 1

    DISSOLVED OXYGEN - CRITICAL

  • 2

    PH

  • 3

    TURBIDITY - BASE 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

53

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

43K

43,062 total readings

Most Measured

  • Nutrient
  • Physical
  • Inorganics, Minor, 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

170cfs

May 14, 7:00 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

30%

Well below typical

Primary Streamgage

White River near Fayetteville, AR

USGS site
07048600
Drainage area
400 sq mi
Long-term mean
576 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 Washington County, Arkansas?
Washington County, Arkansas has a drinking-water quality grade of C with a score of 55.4/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 15 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 Washington County?
Washington County has 15 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 Washington County?
EPA ATTAINS assessments under Clean Water Act §303(d) indicate 11.3% of Washington County's 364 assessed water bodies are classified as impaired (41 impaired). The top reported causes are DISSOLVED OXYGEN - CRITICAL, PH, TURBIDITY - BASE 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 Washington County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 43,062 measurements from 53 monitoring sites in Washington County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Nutrient, Physical, Inorganics, Minor, 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 Washington County right now?
Washington County's primary USGS streamgage on the White River is currently reading 170 cubic feet per second — 30% of the long-term mean of 576.29 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 Washington County water compare to the Arkansas average?
Washington County's SDWIS water quality score of 55.4/100 is higher 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 Washington County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Washington County has a water quality grade of C (55.4/100). 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 Washington County have so many water violations?
Washington County has 15 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 Washington County rank for water quality in Arkansas?
Washington County ranks #31 out of 75 counties in Arkansas by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 55.4/100, it falls in the middle 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

Clark County

Arkansas

C

51.8

Water score

Poinsett County

Arkansas

B

64.1

Water score

Lawrence County

Arkansas

D

46.1

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.

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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