waterbycounty
Federal water data

County water report

Frederick County Water Report

Drinking-water compliance, watershed health, monitoring records, and river conditions for Frederick County, Maryland.

Water grade

C

Water score

61.4

State rank

#7

of 24

Health violations

10

EPA SDWIS, 5-year lookback

Watershed impaired

41.7%

84 water bodies assessed

Monitoring sites

38

23,059 recent measurements

Live streamflow

28%

POTOMAC RIVER AT POINT OF ROCKS, MD

Water at a glance

Key Water Indicators for Frederick County

EPA SDWIS

Safety Grade

C

Score: 61.4 / 100

EPA SDWIS

Active Violations

10

5-year health-based lookback

EPA ATTAINS

Watershed Health

42% impaired

84 bodies assessed

USGS NWIS

Streamflow Snapshot

28% of mean

POTOMAC RIVER AT POINT OF ROCKS, MD

EPA WQP

Monitoring Sites

38

23,059 recent readings

Source: EPA SDWIS · Safe Drinking Water Information System

Drinking Water Compliance

Compliance grade

C

Based on EPA SDWIS compliance history.

Water score

Higher scores indicate cleaner recent compliance records.

61.4/100

Health violations

10

Health-based violations

Violations per 100K served

5.5

Population-normalized SDWIS rate

Data center water stress

Frederick County has 2 facilities in the DCWSI dataset.

ByCounty's DCWSI ranks this county #143 nationally by combining its water score with mapped data center density.

DCWSIThe Data Center Water Stress Index: 60% the county's water-system stress plus 40% how concentrated data centers already are, scored 0-100. Higher means data-center density and water pressure overlap more here.

54.8

0-100 index

Facility count

2

45.0 density percentile

Discharge estimate

Not reported

EPA CWA fields where available

Water vs median

+11.4

Compared with US county median

Mapped facilities

  • FANNIE MAE UTC DATA CENTER

    URBANA

    EPA ECHO

  • OpenStreetMap data center 178331621

    Facility details limited

    OSM
See the Frederick County data-center reportReview methodology

Data Center Water Budget Calculator

Estimate daily water use for a hypothetical facility in Frederick County.

1 MW1,000 MW
40%100%
799K gallons/dayHigh Impact

Your facility would use 15.8% of this county's industrial water baseline. Verify water rights and long-term drought projections before committing.

15.8% of county industrial baseline4.24 Mgal/day remaining headroom

Based on USGS 2020 water-use data and EPA-standard cooling intensity constants. Not a substitute for site-specific water rights analysis.

Editorial analysis

Understanding Frederick County’s Water

Drinking Water Quality Overview

EPA SDWIS

Frederick County's drinking water earned a C grade, scoring 61.4 out of 100. Over the past five years, EPA SDWIS records 10 health-based violations — a pattern that public water utilities are required to disclose and correct.

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). A substantial 41.7% of assessed waterways are impaired (35 of 84 water bodies) across Frederick County's watersheds. The leading impairment causes are temperature and total suspended solids (tss). 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 2026-05-14T14:55:00.000-04:00) puts POTOMAC RIVER at 2.7k cfs — well below its long-term average at 28% 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.

Monitoring Network

EPA WQP

EPA's Water Quality Portal (WQP) aggregates monitoring data from federal, state, and tribal agencies. Frederick County has moderate coverage with 38 active monitoring sites with 23,059 recent measurements on record. Predominant monitoring categories include physical and nutrient. 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 Frederick County

Water Verdict

Frederick County receives a fair water quality assessment with a grade of C and a score of 61.4 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

Frederick County has recorded 10 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 5.5 violations per 100,000 people served, this rate is moderate and suggests recurring water quality challenges.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Frederick County meets baseline standards but the compliance record shows room for improvement, with a Grade C rating. Frederick County's drinking-water compliance score is 61.4 out of 100. The violation rate for Frederick County is 5.5 per 100,000 people served. Residents who are immunocompromised, pregnant, or have young children may benefit from using an NSF 53-certified filter. Contacting your local utility for the current Consumer Confidence Report will confirm which specific violations were recorded and whether they have been resolved. Temperature is the leading impairment cause in Frederick County's watershed. With 38 active water-quality monitoring sites in Frederick County, data coverage is strong. A pipeline streamflow snapshot from the POTOMAC RIVER gauge is also available on this page.

Regional Context

Frederick County has better water quality than the average county in Maryland. Its water score is 10.9 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 Frederick County's water environment

Watershed Impairment Causes (EPA ATTAINS)

  • 1

    Elevated temperature

    Impairment cause per EPA Clean Water Act §303(d) assessment

  • 2

    Total Suspended Solids (Tss)

    Impairment cause per EPA Clean Water Act §303(d) assessment

  • 3

    Phosphorus (excess nutrients)

    Impairment cause per EPA Clean Water Act §303(d) assessment

Source: EPA ATTAINS · Reporting cycle 2022

Official EPA Resources for Frederick County

EPA How's My Waterway

Interactive watershed health data for Frederick County

EPA ECHO: Drinking Water Systems

Search water utilities and violation records for Frederick County

Consumer Confidence Reports (MD)

Annual water quality reports from utilities in Maryland

Clean Water Act §303(d)

Watershed Health

Impaired Water Bodies

41.7%

35 of 84 assessed

Moderate concern

Top Impairment Causes

  • 1

    TEMPERATURE

  • 2

    TOTAL SUSPENDED SOLIDS (TSS)

  • 3

    PHOSPHORUS, TOTAL

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

38

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

23K

23,059 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Nutrient
  • Organics, Other

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).

Live USGS Streamgage

River & Stream Conditions

Current Discharge

2,660cfs

May 14, 6:55 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

28%

Well below typical

Primary Streamgage

POTOMAC RIVER AT POINT OF ROCKS, MD

USGS site
01638500
Drainage area
9,651 sq mi
Long-term mean
9,540 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 Frederick 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.

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 Frederick County, Maryland?
Frederick County, Maryland has a drinking-water quality grade of C with a score of 61.4/100, 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 streamflow snapshots are reported separately on this page.
Are there any water violations in Frederick County?
Frederick County 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 Frederick County?
EPA ATTAINS assessments under Clean Water Act §303(d) indicate 41.7% of Frederick County's 84 assessed water bodies are classified as impaired (35 impaired). The top reported causes are TEMPERATURE, TOTAL SUSPENDED SOLIDS (TSS), PHOSPHORUS, TOTAL. 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 Frederick County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 23,059 measurements from 38 monitoring sites in Frederick County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Nutrient, Organics, Other. 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.
What's happening with rivers in Frederick County right now?
Frederick County's primary USGS streamgage on the POTOMAC RIVER has a pipeline snapshot of 2,660 cubic feet per second — 28% of the long-term mean of 9,540.37 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 Frederick County water compare to the Maryland average?
Frederick County's SDWIS water quality score of 61.4/100 is higher than the Maryland state average of 50.5. The average water quality grade across Maryland is D, based on data from 24 counties with available SDWIS data.
Is tap water safe to drink in Frederick County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Frederick County has a water quality grade of C (61.4/100). This indicates moderate compliance. Some violations have been recorded but overall standards are maintained. 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 Frederick County have so many water violations?
Frederick County 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 Frederick County rank for water quality in Maryland?
Frederick County ranks #7 out of 24 counties in Maryland by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 61.4/100, 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

Washington County

Maryland

C

61.5

Water score

Harford County

Maryland

C

60.8

Water score

Charles County

Maryland

B

62.3

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 and 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.

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

Explore more data for Frederick County

Property TaxCost of LivingCrime RateIncomeHealthSchoolsDisaster RiskWeatherCounty Score