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EPA SDWIS

Hardee County Water Quality

Hardee County, Florida

Water Grade

C

Water Score

59.9

Violations

1

State Rank

#33

of 66 (1 = best)

EPA SDWIS Compliance

Drinking Water Quality

Water Quality Grade

C

Based on EPA compliance history and violation data

Water Score

59.9/100

Higher = better quality

Health Violations

1

Health-based violations

Violation Rate

6.4%

Systems with violations

Water Advisory: Hardee County

Water Verdict

Hardee County receives a fair water quality assessment with a grade of C and a score of 59.9 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

Hardee County has recorded 1 health-based violation, meaning the water system experienced at least one exceedance of federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements. At 6.4 violations per 1,000 residents, this rate is moderate and suggests recurring water quality challenges.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Hardee 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 1 recorded health violation, 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

Hardee County has water quality close to the average county in Florida. Its water score is within 3.9 points of the state average, meaning its overall water system performance is broadly representative of Florida as a whole.

Clean Water Act §303(d)

Watershed Health

Impaired Water Bodies

34.9%

251 of 719 assessed

Moderate concern

Top Impairment Causes

  • 1

    MERCURY IN FISH TISSUE

  • 2

    NITROGEN, TOTAL

  • 3

    CHLOROPHYLL-A

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

78

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

22K

21,515 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Nutrient
  • 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

12.6cfs

May 14, 6:30 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

2%

Well below typical

Primary Streamgage

PEACE RIVER AT US 17 AT ZOLFO SPRINGS, FL

USGS site
02295637
Drainage area
826 sq mi
Long-term mean
606 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 Hardee County, Florida?
Hardee County, Florida has a drinking-water quality grade of C with a score of 59.9/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 1 health-based drinking water violation over the past 5 years. Watershed health, monitoring records, and live streamflow are reported separately on this page.
Are there any water violations in Hardee County?
Hardee County has 1 health-based drinking water violation 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 Hardee County?
EPA ATTAINS assessments under Clean Water Act §303(d) indicate 34.9% of Hardee County's 719 assessed water bodies are classified as impaired (251 impaired). The top reported causes are MERCURY IN FISH TISSUE, NITROGEN, TOTAL, CHLOROPHYLL-A. 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 Hardee County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 21,515 measurements from 78 monitoring sites in Hardee County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Nutrient, 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 Hardee County right now?
Hardee County's primary USGS streamgage on the PEACE RIVER is currently reading 12.6 cubic feet per second — 2% of the long-term mean of 605.85 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 Hardee County water compare to the Florida average?
Hardee County's SDWIS water quality score of 59.9/100 is higher than the Florida state average of 56.0. The average water quality grade across Florida is D, based on data from 66 counties with available SDWIS data.
Is tap water safe to drink in Hardee County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Hardee County has a water quality grade of C (59.9/100). 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).
Does Hardee County have clean drinking water?
Hardee County has 1 health-based drinking water violation according to EPA records. With a water quality score of 59.9/100 and grade C, 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 does Hardee County rank for water quality in Florida?
Hardee County ranks #33 out of 66 counties in Florida by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 59.9/100, 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

Bradford County

Florida

C

59.6

Water score

Citrus County

Florida

C

60.8

Water score

Suwannee County

Florida

C

58.6

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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