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Federal water data

County water report

Marion County Water Report

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

Water grade

B

Water score

64.0

State rank

#67

of 118

Health violations

1

EPA SDWIS, 5-year lookback

Watershed impaired

0.0%

1 water bodies assessed

Monitoring sites

N/A

EPA Water Quality Portal

Live streamflow

No gauge

Primary USGS station not mapped

Water at a glance

Key Water Indicators for Marion County

EPA SDWIS

Safety Grade

B

Score: 64.0 / 100

EPA SDWIS

Active Violations

1

5-year health-based lookback

EPA ATTAINS

Watershed Health

0% impaired

1 bodies assessed

USGS NWIS

Streamflow Snapshot

No gauge

Primary USGS gauge not mapped

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.

64.0/100

Health violations

1

Health-based violations

Violations per 100K served

4.2

Population-normalized SDWIS rate

Editorial analysis

Understanding Marion County’s Water

Drinking Water Quality Overview

EPA SDWIS

Marion County earns a B grade for drinking water quality, scoring 64.0 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 1 water bodies) across Marion County's watersheds. Impairment does not mean tap water is unsafe — it measures ambient waterway conditions upstream of treatment, not finished drinking water.

Editorial advisory

What the data suggests for Marion County

Water Verdict

Marion County receives a fair water quality assessment with a grade of B and a score of 64.0 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

Marion County has recorded 1 health-based violation, meaning the water system experienced at least one exceedance of federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements. At 4.2 violations per 100,000 people served, this rate is moderate and suggests recurring water quality challenges.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Marion County scores well above average for drinking-water safety. Marion County's drinking-water compliance score is 64.0 out of 100. With 1 recorded health violation, the water supply is generally reliable. The violation rate for Marion County is 4.2 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.

Regional Context

Marion County has water quality close to the average county in Kentucky. Its water score is within 0.2 points of the state average, meaning its overall water system performance is broadly representative of Kentucky as a whole.

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 Marion County's water environment

Official EPA Resources for Marion County

EPA How's My Waterway

Interactive watershed health data for Marion County

EPA ECHO: Drinking Water Systems

Search water utilities and violation records for Marion County

Consumer Confidence Reports (KY)

Annual water quality reports from utilities in Kentucky

Clean Water Act §303(d)

Watershed Health

Impaired Water Bodies

0.0%

0 of 1 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.

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Monthly

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Water Bill

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Filter Cost

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Safety Grade for Marion 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 Marion County, Kentucky?
Marion County, Kentucky has a drinking-water quality grade of B with a score of 64.0/100, 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 Marion County?
Marion 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 Marion County?
EPA ATTAINS assessments under Clean Water Act §303(d) indicate 0.0% of Marion County's 1 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.
How does Marion County water compare to the Kentucky average?
Marion County's SDWIS water quality score of 64.0/100 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 Marion County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Marion County has a water quality grade of B (64.0/100). 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 Marion County have clean drinking water?
Marion County has 1 health-based drinking water violation according to EPA records. With a water quality score of 64.0/100 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 Marion County rank for water quality in Kentucky?
Marion County ranks #67 out of 118 counties in Kentucky by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 64.0/100, 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

Adair County

Kentucky

B

63.4

Water score

Butler County

Kentucky

C

60.8

Water score

Todd County

Kentucky

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 and EPA-finalized.

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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