waterbycounty
EPA SDWIS

Rapides Parish Water Quality

Rapides Parish, Louisiana

Water Grade

D

Water Score

46.5

Violations

35

State Rank

#14

of 63 (1 = best)

EPA SDWIS Compliance

Drinking Water Quality

Water Quality Grade

D

Based on EPA compliance history and violation data

Water Score

46.5/100

Higher = better quality

Health Violations

35

Health-based violations

Violation Rate

21.5%

Systems with violations

Water Advisory: Rapides Parish

Water Verdict

Rapides Parish receives a below-average water quality assessment with a grade of D and a score of 46.5 out of 100. Residents should review their utility's Consumer Confidence Report and may want to consider additional water filtration for drinking.

Violation Context

Rapides Parish has recorded 35 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 21.5 violations per 1,000 residents, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Residents of Rapides Parish 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 35 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

Rapides Parish has better water quality than the average county in Louisiana. Its water score is 16.4 points higher than the state average, indicating stronger water system performance relative to neighboring counties.

Clean Water Act §303(d)

Watershed Health

Impaired Water Bodies

91.3%

116 of 127 assessed

High concern

Top Impairment Causes

  • 1

    DISSOLVED OXYGEN

  • 2

    FECAL COLIFORM

  • 3

    MERCURY - FISH CONSUMPTION ADVISORY

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

28

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

4.5K

4,488 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Organics, Other
  • 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).

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 Rapides Parish, Louisiana?
Rapides Parish, Louisiana has a drinking-water quality grade of D with a score of 46.5/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 35 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 Rapides Parish?
Rapides Parish has 35 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 Rapides Parish?
EPA ATTAINS assessments under Clean Water Act §303(d) indicate 91.3% of Rapides Parish's 127 assessed water bodies are classified as impaired (116 impaired). The top reported causes are DISSOLVED OXYGEN, FECAL COLIFORM, MERCURY - FISH CONSUMPTION ADVISORY. 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 Rapides Parish?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 4,488 measurements from 28 monitoring sites in Rapides Parish over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Organics, Other, 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.
How does Rapides Parish water compare to the Louisiana average?
Rapides Parish's SDWIS water quality score of 46.5/100 is higher than the Louisiana state average of 30.1. The average water quality grade across Louisiana is F, based on data from 63 counties with available SDWIS data.
Is tap water safe to drink in Rapides Parish?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Rapides Parish has a water quality grade of D (46.5/100). 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 Rapides Parish have so many water violations?
Rapides Parish has 35 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 Rapides Parish rank for water quality in Louisiana?
Rapides Parish ranks #14 out of 63 counties in Louisiana by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 46.5/100, it falls in the top 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

Beauregard Parish

Louisiana

D

44.8

Water score

Calcasieu Parish

Louisiana

D

43.6

Water score

East Feliciana Parish

Louisiana

C

51.3

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.

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

Explore more data for Rapides Parish

Property TaxCost of LivingCrime RateIncomeHealthSchoolsDisaster RiskWeatherCounty Score