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County water report

Saline County Water Report

Drinking-water compliance, watershed health, monitoring records, and river conditions for Saline County, Kansas.

Water grade

B

Water score

67.8

State rank

#36

of 105

Health violations

1

EPA SDWIS, 5-year lookback

Watershed impaired

0.0%

3 water bodies assessed

Monitoring sites

N/A

EPA Water Quality Portal

Live streamflow

44%

SMOKY HILL R AT NEW CAMBRIA, KS

Water at a glance

Key Water Indicators for Saline County

EPA SDWIS

Safety Grade

B

Score: 67.8 / 100

EPA SDWIS

Active Violations

1

5-year health-based lookback

EPA ATTAINS

Watershed Health

0% impaired

3 bodies assessed

USGS NWIS

Streamflow Snapshot

44% of mean

SMOKY HILL R AT NEW CAMBRIA, KS

EPA WQP

Monitoring Sites

N/A

Rolling 5-year window

Source: EPA SDWIS · Safe Drinking Water Information System

Drinking Water Compliance

Compliance grade

B

Based on EPA SDWIS compliance history.

Water score

Higher scores indicate cleaner recent compliance records.

67.8/100

Health violations

1

Health-based violations

Violations per 100K served

2.0

Population-normalized SDWIS rate

Editorial analysis

Understanding Saline County’s Water

Drinking Water Quality Overview

EPA SDWIS

Saline County earns a B grade for drinking water quality, scoring 67.8 out of 100. Over the past five years, EPA SDWIS records 1 health-based violation — a single incident worth monitoring.

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). None of the assessed waterways are listed as impaired (0 of 3 water bodies) across Saline County's watersheds. 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 2007-02-28T23:30:00.000-06:00) puts SMOKY HILL R at 276.0 cfs — well below its long-term average at 44% of mean — low-flow conditions worth noting for water-dependent ecosystems. 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 Saline County

Water Verdict

Saline County, Kansas receives a fair water quality assessment with a grade of B and a score of 67.8 out of 100. The water supply meets baseline federal standards, but there may be periods of elevated contaminant levels or infrastructure concerns worth monitoring. Separately, EPA ATTAINS assessments track 3 water bodies in the county's watershed, none of which are currently listed as impaired under the Clean Water Act. At the most recent USGS reading, local streamflow was below its historical mean at 44.1% — worth watching in drier seasons.

Violation Context

EPA SDWIS records for Saline County, Kansas show 1 health-based violation, meaning a water system experienced at least one exceedance of federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements. At 2.0 violations per 100,000 people served, this rate is relatively low compared to many U.S. counties. The most recent Clean Water Act assessment cycle on file for the county's watershed is 2022.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Saline County scores well above average for drinking-water safety. Saline County's drinking-water compliance score is 67.8 out of 100. With 1 recorded health violation, the water supply is generally reliable. The violation rate for Saline County is 2.0 per 100,000 people served. Households with infants, pregnant individuals, or immunocompromised members may want to use an NSF 53-certified pitcher filter as a low-cost precaution. A pipeline streamflow snapshot from the SMOKY HILL R gauge is also available on this page.

Regional Context

Saline County has better water quality than the average county in Kansas. Its water score is 25.2 points higher than the state average, indicating stronger water system performance relative to neighboring counties.

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 Saline County's water environment

Official EPA Resources for Saline County

EPA How's My Waterway

Interactive watershed health data for Saline County

EPA ECHO: Drinking Water Systems

Search water utilities and violation records for Saline County

Consumer Confidence Reports (KS)

Annual water quality reports from utilities in Kansas

Clean Water Act §303(d)

Watershed Health

Impaired Water Bodies

0.0%

0 of 3 assessed

Mostly healthy

Top Impairment Causes

No specific impairment causes reported for the assessed water bodies in this county.

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

276cfs

Mar 1, 5:30 AM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

44%

Well below typical

Primary Streamgage

SMOKY HILL R AT NEW CAMBRIA, KS

USGS site
06870200
Drainage area
11,730 sq mi
Long-term mean
625 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.

Free tool

Estimate Your Water Costs

Water Cost Estimate

3

3 people  ·  ~225 gal/day

Annual Total

$558

Monthly

$47

Water Bill

$558/yr

Filter Cost

$0/yr

Safety Grade for Saline County:C — Moderate

Some violations or watershed impairment detected.

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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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the water quality in Saline County, Kansas?
Saline County, Kansas has a drinking-water quality grade of B with a score of 67.8/100, 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 streamflow snapshots are reported separately on this page.
Are there any water violations in Saline County?
Saline 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 Saline County?
EPA ATTAINS assessments under Clean Water Act §303(d) indicate 0.0% of Saline County's 3 assessed water bodies are classified as impaired (0 impaired). 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 Saline County right now?
Saline County's primary USGS streamgage on the SMOKY HILL R has a pipeline snapshot of 276 cubic feet per second — 44% of the long-term mean of 625.16 cfs. This is well below typical — often a signal of drought stress on source water. For the latest gauge feed, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Saline County water compare to the Kansas average?
Saline County's SDWIS water quality score of 67.8/100 is higher than the Kansas state average of 42.6. The average water quality grade across Kansas is D, based on data from 105 counties with available SDWIS data.
Is tap water safe to drink in Saline County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Saline County has a water quality grade of B (67.8/100). This indicates good to excellent water quality with strong SDWIS 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 Saline County have clean drinking water?
Saline County has 1 health-based drinking water violation according to EPA records. With a water quality score of 67.8/100 and grade B, 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 Saline County rank for water quality in Kansas?
Saline County ranks #36 out of 105 counties in Kansas by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 67.8/100, 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

Riley County

Kansas

B

65.6

Water score

Johnson County

Kansas

A

71.3

Water score

Neosho County

Kansas

C

60.8

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 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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