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Federal water data

County water report

Alger County Water Report

Drinking-water compliance, watershed health, monitoring records, and river conditions for Alger County, Michigan.

Water grade

D

Water score

44.9

State rank

#57

of 83

Health violations

1

EPA SDWIS, 5-year lookback

Watershed impaired

Not reported

EPA ATTAINS coverage varies by state

Monitoring sites

28

16,444 recent measurements

Live streamflow

No gauge

MINERS RIVER NR MUNISING, MI

Water at a glance

Key Water Indicators for Alger County

EPA SDWIS

Safety Grade

D

Score: 44.9 / 100

EPA SDWIS

Active Violations

1

5-year health-based lookback

EPA ATTAINS

Watershed Health

Not reported

Coverage varies by state

USGS NWIS

Streamflow Snapshot

No gauge

MINERS RIVER NR MUNISING, MI

EPA WQP

Monitoring Sites

28

16,444 recent readings

Source: EPA SDWIS · Safe Drinking Water Information System

Drinking Water Compliance

Compliance grade

D

Based on EPA SDWIS compliance history.

Water score

Higher scores indicate cleaner recent compliance records.

44.9/100

Health violations

1

Health-based violations

Violations per 100K served

24.2

Population-normalized SDWIS rate

Editorial analysis

Understanding Alger County’s Water

Drinking Water Quality Overview

EPA SDWIS

Alger County's drinking water received a D grade, scoring 44.9 out of 100. Over the past five years, EPA SDWIS records 1 health-based violation — a single incident worth monitoring.

Monitoring Network

EPA WQP

EPA's Water Quality Portal (WQP) aggregates monitoring data from federal, state, and tribal agencies. Alger County has moderate coverage with 28 active monitoring sites with 16,444 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 Alger County

Water Verdict

Alger County receives a below-average water quality assessment with a grade of D and a score of 44.9 out of 100. Residents should review their utility's Consumer Confidence Report and may want to consider additional water filtration for drinking.

Violation Context

Alger County has recorded 1 health-based violation, meaning the water system experienced at least one exceedance of federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements. At 24.2 violations per 100,000 people served, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Alger County's drinking-water compliance is below average with a Grade D, indicating repeated or unresolved violations in the recent record. Alger County's drinking-water compliance score is 44.9 out of 100. The violation rate for Alger County is 24.2 per 100,000 people served. Residents are encouraged to use an NSF 53 or NSF 58-certified filter for drinking and cooking water until the underlying violations are resolved. Running tap water for 30 seconds before use and avoiding older lead-pipe connections can also reduce exposure risk. The current Consumer Confidence Report from your utility will specify the contaminants of concern. With 28 active water-quality monitoring sites in Alger County, data coverage is strong. A pipeline streamflow snapshot from the MINERS RIVER gauge is also available on this page.

Regional Context

Alger County has poorer water quality than the average county in Michigan. Its water score is 13.6 points lower than the state average, suggesting more challenges with contamination control or infrastructure than 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 Alger County's water environment

Official EPA Resources for Alger County

EPA How's My Waterway

Interactive watershed health data for Alger County

EPA ECHO: Drinking Water Systems

Search water utilities and violation records for Alger County

Consumer Confidence Reports (MI)

Annual water quality reports from utilities in Michigan

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

28

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

16K

16,444 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Nutrient
  • Biological, Counts

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).

Free tool

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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 Alger County:D — Poor

Elevated violations or significant watershed impairment.

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 Alger County, Michigan?
Alger County, Michigan has a drinking-water quality grade of D with a score of 44.9/100, 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 Alger County?
Alger 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 much water-quality monitoring happens in Alger County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 16,444 measurements from 28 monitoring sites in Alger County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Nutrient, Biological, Counts. 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 Alger County water compare to the Michigan average?
Alger County's SDWIS water quality score of 44.9/100 is lower than the Michigan state average of 58.5. The average water quality grade across Michigan is D, based on data from 83 counties with available SDWIS data.
Is tap water safe to drink in Alger County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Alger County has a water quality grade of D (44.9/100). 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).
Does Alger County have clean drinking water?
Alger County has 1 health-based drinking water violation according to EPA records. With a water quality score of 44.9/100 and grade D, 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 Alger County rank for water quality in Michigan?
Alger County ranks #57 out of 83 counties in Michigan by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 44.9/100, 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

Allegan County

Michigan

D

47.0

Water score

Newaygo County

Michigan

D

42.8

Water score

Antrim County

Michigan

F

40.8

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.

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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