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EPA SDWIS

Rush County Water Quality

Rush County, Indiana

Water Grade

F

Water Score

20.3

Violations

12

State Rank

#84

of 92 (1 = best)

EPA SDWIS Compliance

Drinking Water Quality

Water Quality Grade

F

Based on EPA compliance history and violation data

Water Score

20.3/100

Higher = better quality

Health Violations

12

Health-based violations

Violation Rate

129.4%

Systems with violations

Water Advisory: Rush County

Water Verdict

Rush County receives a poor water quality assessment with a grade of F and a score of 20.3 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

Rush County has recorded 12 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 129.4 violations per 1,000 residents, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Residents of Rush 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 12 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

Rush County has poorer water quality than the average county in Indiana. Its water score is 32.2 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

62.8%

76 of 121 assessed

High concern

Top Impairment Causes

  • 1

    ESCHERICHIA COLI (E. COLI)

  • 2

    MERCURY IN FISH TISSUE

  • 3

    DISSOLVED OXYGEN

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

14

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

3.8K

3,834 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).

Live USGS Streamgage

River & Stream Conditions

Current Discharge

141cfs

Oct 1, 4:45 AM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

69%

Below typical

Primary Streamgage

BIG BLUE RIVER AT CARTHAGE, IN

USGS site
03361000
Drainage area
184 sq mi
Long-term mean
204 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 Rush County, Indiana?
Rush County, Indiana has a drinking-water quality grade of F with a score of 20.3/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 12 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 Rush County?
Rush County has 12 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 Rush County?
EPA ATTAINS assessments under Clean Water Act §303(d) indicate 62.8% of Rush County's 121 assessed water bodies are classified as impaired (76 impaired). The top reported causes are ESCHERICHIA COLI (E. COLI), MERCURY IN FISH TISSUE, DISSOLVED OXYGEN. 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 Rush County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 3,834 measurements from 14 monitoring sites in Rush 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.
What's happening with rivers in Rush County right now?
Rush County's primary USGS streamgage on the BIG BLUE RIVER is currently reading 141 cubic feet per second — 69% of the long-term mean of 203.95 cfs. Flow is within typical range for this gauge. For genuine real-time data, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Rush County water compare to the Indiana average?
Rush County's SDWIS water quality score of 20.3/100 is lower than the Indiana state average of 52.5. The average water quality grade across Indiana is D, based on data from 92 counties with available SDWIS data.
Is tap water safe to drink in Rush County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Rush County has a water quality grade of F (20.3/100). 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 Rush County have so many water violations?
Rush County has 12 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 Rush County rank for water quality in Indiana?
Rush County ranks #84 out of 92 counties in Indiana by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 20.3/100, 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

Franklin County

Indiana

F

20.4

Water score

Benton County

Indiana

F

20.1

Water score

Wabash County

Indiana

F

20.7

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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