waterbycounty
EPA SDWIS

Walton County Water Quality

Walton County, Georgia

Water Grade

C

Water Score

59.6

Violations

5

State Rank

#105

of 159 (1 = best)

EPA SDWIS Compliance

Drinking Water Quality

Water Quality Grade

C

Based on EPA compliance history and violation data

Water Score

59.6/100

Higher = better quality

Health Violations

5

Health-based violations

Violation Rate

6.6%

Systems with violations

Water Advisory: Walton County

Water Verdict

Walton County receives a fair water quality assessment with a grade of C and a score of 59.6 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

Walton County has recorded 5 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 6.6 violations per 1,000 residents, this rate is moderate and suggests recurring water quality challenges.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Walton 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 5 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

Walton County has water quality close to the average county in Georgia. Its water score is within 4.8 points of the state average, meaning its overall water system performance is broadly representative of Georgia as a whole.

Clean Water Act §303(d)

Watershed Health

Impaired Water Bodies

60.0%

15 of 25 assessed

High concern

Top Impairment Causes

  • 1

    FECAL COLIFORM

  • 2

    PH

  • 3

    FISH BIOASSESSMENTS

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

7

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

2.2K

2,199 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Nutrient
  • Organics, Other

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

57.8cfs

May 14, 6:45 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

33%

Well below typical

Primary Streamgage

APALACHEE RIVER AT SNOWS MILL RD, NR BISHOP, GA

USGS site
02218900
Drainage area
142 sq mi
Long-term mean
178 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 Walton County, Georgia?
Walton County, Georgia has a drinking-water quality grade of C with a score of 59.6/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 5 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 Walton County?
Walton County has 5 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 Walton County?
EPA ATTAINS assessments under Clean Water Act §303(d) indicate 60.0% of Walton County's 25 assessed water bodies are classified as impaired (15 impaired). The top reported causes are FECAL COLIFORM, PH, FISH BIOASSESSMENTS. 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 Walton County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 2,199 measurements from 7 monitoring sites in Walton County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Nutrient, Organics, Other. 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 Walton County right now?
Walton County's primary USGS streamgage on the APALACHEE RIVER is currently reading 57.8 cubic feet per second — 33% of the long-term mean of 177.72 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 Walton County water compare to the Georgia average?
Walton County's SDWIS water quality score of 59.6/100 is lower than the Georgia state average of 64.4. The average water quality grade across Georgia is C, based on data from 159 counties with available SDWIS data.
Is tap water safe to drink in Walton County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Walton County has a water quality grade of C (59.6/100). 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 Walton County have clean drinking water?
Walton County has 5 health-based drinking water violations according to EPA records. With a water quality score of 59.6/100 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 Walton County rank for water quality in Georgia?
Walton County ranks #105 out of 159 counties in Georgia by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 59.6/100, 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

Fayette County

Georgia

C

59.4

Water score

Clarke County

Georgia

C

59.1

Water score

Columbia County

Georgia

C

60.1

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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