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Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region Water Report

Drinking-water compliance, watershed health, monitoring records, and river conditions for Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut.

Water grade

N/A

Water score

N/A

State rank

N/A

Health violations

N/A

EPA SDWIS, 5-year lookback

Watershed impaired

66.7%

3 water bodies assessed

Monitoring sites

N/A

EPA Water Quality Portal

Live streamflow

110%

SALMON RIVER NEAR EAST HAMPTON, CT

Water at a glance

Key Water Indicators for Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region

EPA SDWIS

Safety Grade

N/A

Insufficient data

EPA SDWIS

Active Violations

N/A

5-year health-based lookback

EPA ATTAINS

Watershed Health

67% impaired

3 bodies assessed

USGS NWIS

Streamflow Snapshot

110% of mean

SALMON RIVER NEAR EAST HAMPTON, CT

EPA WQP

Monitoring Sites

N/A

Rolling 5-year window

Source: EPA SDWIS · Safe Drinking Water Information System

Drinking Water Compliance

Editorial analysis

Understanding Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region’s Water

Drinking Water Quality Overview

EPA SDWIS

Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region 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). A large majority — 66.7% — of assessed waterways are impaired (2 of 3 water bodies) across Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region's watersheds. The leading impairment causes are escherichia coli (e. coli) and flow regime modification. 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 2026-05-14T15:00:00.000-04:00) puts SALMON RIVER at 209.0 cfs — near its historical average at 110% of mean flow. 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 Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region

Water Verdict

Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region 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 Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region. 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 Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region 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. E. coli is the leading impairment cause in Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region's watershed. A pipeline streamflow snapshot from the SALMON RIVER gauge is also available on this page.

Regional Context

State-level water quality comparison data is not available for Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region. When data is available, this section will show how the county's water quality compares to other counties in Connecticut.

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 Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region's water environment

Watershed Impairment Causes (EPA ATTAINS)

  • 1

    E. coli (bacteria)

    Impairment cause per EPA Clean Water Act §303(d) assessment

  • 2

    Flow Regime Modification

    Impairment cause per EPA Clean Water Act §303(d) assessment

Source: EPA ATTAINS · Reporting cycle 2022

Official EPA Resources for Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region

EPA How's My Waterway

Interactive watershed health data for Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region

EPA ECHO: Drinking Water Systems

Search water utilities and violation records for Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region

Consumer Confidence Reports (CT)

Annual water quality reports from utilities in Connecticut

Clean Water Act §303(d)

Watershed Health

Impaired Water Bodies

66.7%

2 of 3 assessed

High concern

Top Impairment Causes

  • 1

    ESCHERICHIA COLI (E. COLI)

  • 2

    FLOW REGIME MODIFICATION

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

209cfs

May 14, 7:00 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

110%

Near typical

Primary Streamgage

SALMON RIVER NEAR EAST HAMPTON, CT

USGS site
01193500
Drainage area
100 sq mi
Long-term mean
191 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 Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region: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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Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region has good water quality

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the water quality in Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut?
Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut 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 Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region?
Violation data for Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region is not currently available. Health-based violations indicate instances where contaminant levels exceeded EPA Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs).
How healthy are the watersheds in Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region?
EPA ATTAINS assessments under Clean Water Act §303(d) indicate 66.7% of Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region's 3 assessed water bodies are classified as impaired (2 impaired). The top reported causes are ESCHERICHIA COLI (E. COLI), FLOW REGIME MODIFICATION. 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 Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region right now?
Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region's primary USGS streamgage on the SALMON RIVER has a pipeline snapshot of 209 cubic feet per second — 110% of the long-term mean of 190.88 cfs. Flow is within typical range for this gauge. For the latest gauge feed, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region water compare to the Connecticut average?
Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region's SDWIS water quality score of N/A/100 is not available for comparison.
Is tap water safe to drink in Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region 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 Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region have clean drinking water?
Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region 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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