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EPA SDWIS

St. Helena Parish Water Quality

St. Helena Parish, Louisiana

Water Grade

F

Water Score

23.8

Violations

10

State Rank

#29

of 63 (1 = best)

EPA SDWIS Compliance

Drinking Water Quality

Water Quality Grade

F

Based on EPA compliance history and violation data

Water Score

23.8/100

Higher = better quality

Health Violations

10

Health-based violations

Violation Rate

96.1%

Systems with violations

Water Advisory: St. Helena Parish

Water Verdict

St. Helena Parish receives a poor water quality assessment with a grade of F and a score of 23.8 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

St. Helena Parish has recorded 10 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 96.1 violations per 1,000 residents, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Residents of St. Helena 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 10 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

St. Helena Parish has poorer water quality than the average county in Louisiana. Its water score is 6.3 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

83.7%

36 of 43 assessed

High concern

Top Impairment Causes

  • 1

    DISSOLVED OXYGEN

  • 2

    MERCURY - FISH CONSUMPTION ADVISORY

  • 3

    FECAL COLIFORM

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

1,020cfs

May 14, 6:15 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

113%

Above typical

Primary Streamgage

Amite River near Darlington, LA

USGS site
07377000
Drainage area
580 sq mi
Long-term mean
899 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 St. Helena Parish, Louisiana?
St. Helena Parish, Louisiana has a drinking-water quality grade of F with a score of 23.8/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 10 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 St. Helena Parish?
St. Helena Parish has 10 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 St. Helena Parish?
EPA ATTAINS assessments under Clean Water Act §303(d) indicate 83.7% of St. Helena Parish's 43 assessed water bodies are classified as impaired (36 impaired). The top reported causes are DISSOLVED OXYGEN, MERCURY - FISH CONSUMPTION ADVISORY, FECAL COLIFORM. 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 St. Helena Parish right now?
St. Helena Parish's primary USGS streamgage on the Amite River is currently reading 1,020 cubic feet per second — 113% of the long-term mean of 899.45 cfs. Flow is within typical range for this gauge. For genuine real-time data, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does St. Helena Parish water compare to the Louisiana average?
St. Helena Parish's SDWIS water quality score of 23.8/100 is lower 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 St. Helena Parish?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, St. Helena Parish has a water quality grade of F (23.8/100). 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 St. Helena Parish have so many water violations?
St. Helena Parish has 10 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 St. Helena Parish rank for water quality in Louisiana?
St. Helena Parish ranks #29 out of 63 counties in Louisiana by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 23.8/100, 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

Caddo Parish

Louisiana

F

23.8

Water score

St. Landry Parish

Louisiana

F

23.7

Water score

St. James Parish

Louisiana

F

23.4

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.

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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