waterbycounty
Federal water data

County water report

Boyd County Water Report

Drinking-water compliance, watershed health, monitoring records, and river conditions for Boyd County, Kentucky.

Water grade

D

Water score

47.8

State rank

#83

of 118

Health violations

13

EPA SDWIS, 5-year lookback

Watershed impaired

Not reported

EPA ATTAINS coverage varies by state

Monitoring sites

2

1,522 recent measurements

Live streamflow

No gauge

OHIO RIVER AT ASHLAND, KY

Water at a glance

Key Water Indicators for Boyd County

EPA SDWIS

Safety Grade

D

Score: 47.8 / 100

EPA SDWIS

Active Violations

13

5-year health-based lookback

EPA ATTAINS

Watershed Health

Not reported

Coverage varies by state

USGS NWIS

Streamflow Snapshot

No gauge

OHIO RIVER AT ASHLAND, KY

EPA WQP

Monitoring Sites

2

1,522 recent readings

Source: EPA SDWIS · Safe Drinking Water Information System

Drinking Water Compliance

Compliance grade

D

Based on EPA SDWIS compliance history.

Water score

Higher scores indicate cleaner recent compliance records.

47.8/100

Health violations

13

Health-based violations

Violations per 100K served

19.6

Population-normalized SDWIS rate

Editorial analysis

Understanding Boyd County’s Water

Drinking Water Quality Overview

EPA SDWIS

Boyd County's drinking water received a D grade, scoring 47.8 out of 100. Over the past five years, EPA SDWIS records 13 health-based violations — a pattern that public water utilities are required to disclose and correct.

Monitoring Network

EPA WQP

EPA's Water Quality Portal (WQP) aggregates monitoring data from federal, state, and tribal agencies. Boyd County has limited coverage with 2 active monitoring sites with 1,522 recent measurements on record. Predominant monitoring categories include inorganics, minor, metals and physical. More monitoring sites generally indicate greater scientific attention to local water conditions — and provide the baseline data that regulators use to set future impairment listings.

Editorial advisory

What the data suggests for Boyd County

Water Verdict

Boyd County receives a below-average water quality assessment with a grade of D and a score of 47.8 out of 100. Residents should review their utility's Consumer Confidence Report and may want to consider additional water filtration for drinking.

Violation Context

Boyd County has recorded 13 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 19.6 violations per 100,000 people served, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Boyd County's drinking-water compliance is below average with a Grade D, indicating repeated or unresolved violations in the recent record. Boyd County's drinking-water compliance score is 47.8 out of 100. The violation rate for Boyd County is 19.6 per 100,000 people served. Residents are encouraged to use an NSF 53 or NSF 58-certified filter for drinking and cooking water until the underlying violations are resolved. Running tap water for 30 seconds before use and avoiding older lead-pipe connections can also reduce exposure risk. The current Consumer Confidence Report from your utility will specify the contaminants of concern. There are 2 active water-quality monitoring sites in Boyd County. A pipeline streamflow snapshot from the OHIO RIVER gauge is also available on this page.

Regional Context

Boyd County has poorer water quality than the average county in Kentucky. Its water score is 16.4 points lower than the state average, suggesting more challenges with contamination control or infrastructure than 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 Boyd County's water environment

Official EPA Resources for Boyd County

EPA How's My Waterway

Interactive watershed health data for Boyd County

EPA ECHO: Drinking Water Systems

Search water utilities and violation records for Boyd County

Consumer Confidence Reports (KY)

Annual water quality reports from utilities in Kentucky

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

2

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

1.5K

1,522 total readings

Most Measured

  • Inorganics, Minor, Metals
  • Physical
  • 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).

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 Boyd County:D — Poor

Elevated violations or significant watershed impairment.

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.

Try the full calculator →

Improve your water quality at home

Berkey filters remove 99.9%+ of contaminants from tap water.

Shop Berkey →

Sponsored

Test your tap water

Tap Score provides professional mail-in water testing.

Get Tested →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the water quality in Boyd County, Kentucky?
Boyd County, Kentucky has a drinking-water quality grade of D with a score of 47.8/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 13 health-based drinking water violations over the past 5 years. Watershed health, monitoring records, and streamflow snapshots are reported separately on this page.
Are there any water violations in Boyd County?
Boyd County has 13 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 much water-quality monitoring happens in Boyd County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 1,522 measurements from 2 monitoring sites in Boyd County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Inorganics, Minor, Metals, Physical, 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.
How does Boyd County water compare to the Kentucky average?
Boyd County's SDWIS water quality score of 47.8/100 is lower than the Kentucky state average of 64.2. The average water quality grade across Kentucky is C, based on data from 118 counties with available SDWIS data.
Is tap water safe to drink in Boyd County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Boyd County has a water quality grade of D (47.8/100). 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 Boyd County have so many water violations?
Boyd County has 13 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 Boyd County rank for water quality in Kentucky?
Boyd County ranks #83 out of 118 counties in Kentucky by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 47.8/100, 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

Owsley County

Kentucky

D

48.2

Water score

Clay County

Kentucky

D

48.9

Water score

Woodford County

Kentucky

D

46.0

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.

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.

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

Explore more data for Boyd County

Property TaxCost of LivingCrime RateIncomeHealthSchoolsDisaster RiskWeatherCounty Score