waterbycounty
EPA SDWIS

Franklin County Water Quality

Franklin County, Massachusetts

Water Grade

C

Water Score

53.4

Violations

6

State Rank

#14

of 14 (1 = best)

EPA SDWIS Compliance

Drinking Water Quality

Water Quality Grade

C

Based on EPA compliance history and violation data

Water Score

53.4/100

Higher = better quality

Health Violations

6

Health-based violations

Violation Rate

12.0%

Systems with violations

Water Advisory: Franklin County

Water Verdict

Franklin County receives a below-average water quality assessment with a grade of C and a score of 53.4 out of 100. Residents should review their utility's Consumer Confidence Report and may want to consider additional water filtration for drinking.

Violation Context

Franklin County has recorded 6 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 12.0 violations per 1,000 residents, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Franklin County meets baseline standards, but residents who are immunocompromised or have young children may want to use an NSF-certified water filter as a precaution. With 6 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

Franklin County has poorer water quality than the average county in Massachusetts. Its water score is 15.7 points lower than the state average, suggesting more challenges with contamination control or infrastructure than neighboring counties.

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

61

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

13K

13,363 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Nutrient
  • 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).

Live USGS Streamgage

River & Stream Conditions

Current Discharge

16.4Kcfs

May 14, 6:15 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

109%

Near typical

Primary Streamgage

CONNECTICUT RIVER AT MONTAGUE CITY, MA

USGS site
01170500
Drainage area
7,860 sq mi
Long-term mean
15.0K 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 Franklin County, Massachusetts?
Franklin County, Massachusetts has a drinking-water quality grade of C with a score of 53.4/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 6 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 Franklin County?
Franklin County has 6 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 Franklin County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 13,363 measurements from 61 monitoring sites in Franklin County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Nutrient, 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.
What's happening with rivers in Franklin County right now?
Franklin County's primary USGS streamgage on the CONNECTICUT RIVER is currently reading 16,400 cubic feet per second — 109% of the long-term mean of 15,010.18 cfs. Flow is within typical range for this gauge. For genuine real-time data, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Franklin County water compare to the Massachusetts average?
Franklin County's SDWIS water quality score of 53.4/100 is lower than the Massachusetts state average of 69.1. The average water quality grade across Massachusetts is C, based on data from 14 counties with available SDWIS data.
Is tap water safe to drink in Franklin County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Franklin County has a water quality grade of C (53.4/100). 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 Franklin County have so many water violations?
Franklin County has 6 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 Franklin County rank for water quality in Massachusetts?
Franklin County ranks #14 out of 14 counties in Massachusetts by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 53.4/100, 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

Bristol County

Massachusetts

C

60.4

Water score

Berkshire County

Massachusetts

C

60.6

Water score

Worcester County

Massachusetts

B

63.5

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.

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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