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County water report

Chippewa County Water Report

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

Water grade

B

Water score

63.0

State rank

#37

of 83

Health violations

1

EPA SDWIS, 5-year lookback

Watershed impaired

Not reported

EPA ATTAINS coverage varies by state

Monitoring sites

71

18,946 recent measurements

Live streamflow

77%

ST. MARYS RIVER AT SAULT STE. MARIE, ONTARIO

Water at a glance

Key Water Indicators for Chippewa County

EPA SDWIS

Safety Grade

B

Score: 63.0 / 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

77% of mean

ST. MARYS RIVER AT SAULT STE. MARIE, ONTARIO

EPA WQP

Monitoring Sites

71

18,946 recent readings

Source: EPA SDWIS · Safe Drinking Water Information System

Drinking Water Compliance

Compliance grade

B

Based on EPA SDWIS compliance history.

Water score

Higher scores indicate cleaner recent compliance records.

63.0/100

Health violations

1

Health-based violations

Violations per 100K served

4.7

Population-normalized SDWIS rate

Editorial analysis

Understanding Chippewa County’s Water

Drinking Water Quality Overview

EPA SDWIS

Chippewa County earns a B grade for drinking water quality, scoring 63.0 out of 100. Over the past five years, EPA SDWIS records 1 health-based violation — a single incident worth monitoring.

River & Streamflow Status

USGS NWIS

USGS NWIS gauge data (as of 2026-05-14T13:12:00.000-05:00) puts ST. MARYS RIVER at 58.7k cfs — running somewhat below its historical average at 77% of mean. 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. Chippewa County has extensive coverage with 71 active monitoring sites with 18,946 recent measurements on record. Predominant monitoring categories include physical and microbiological. 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 Chippewa County

Water Verdict

Chippewa County receives a fair water quality assessment with a grade of B and a score of 63.0 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

Chippewa County has recorded 1 health-based violation, meaning the water system experienced at least one exceedance of federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements. At 4.7 violations per 100,000 people served, this rate is moderate and suggests recurring water quality challenges.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Chippewa County scores well above average for drinking-water safety. Chippewa County's drinking-water compliance score is 63.0 out of 100. With 1 recorded health violation, the water supply is generally reliable. The violation rate for Chippewa County is 4.7 per 100,000 people served. Households with infants, pregnant individuals, or immunocompromised members may want to use an NSF 53-certified pitcher filter as a low-cost precaution. With 71 active water-quality monitoring sites in Chippewa County, data coverage is strong. Live streamflow monitoring from the ST. MARYS RIVER gauge is also available on this page.

Regional Context

Chippewa County has water quality close to the average county in Michigan. Its water score is within 4.5 points of the state average, meaning its overall water system performance is broadly representative of Michigan as a whole.

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 Chippewa County's water environment

Official EPA Resources for Chippewa County

EPA How's My Waterway

Interactive watershed health data for Chippewa County

EPA ECHO: Drinking Water Systems

Search water utilities and violation records for Chippewa County

Consumer Confidence Reports (MI)

Annual water quality reports from utilities in Michigan

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

71

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

19K

18,946 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Microbiological
  • 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).

Live USGS Streamgage

River & Stream Conditions

Current Discharge

58.7Kcfs

May 14, 6:12 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

77%

Below typical

Primary Streamgage

ST. MARYS RIVER AT SAULT STE. MARIE, ONTARIO

USGS site
04127885
Drainage area
80,900 sq mi
Long-term mean
76.3K 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 Chippewa 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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the water quality in Chippewa County, Michigan?
Chippewa County, Michigan has a drinking-water quality grade of B with a score of 63.0/100, 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 Chippewa County?
Chippewa 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 Chippewa County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 18,946 measurements from 71 monitoring sites in Chippewa County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Microbiological, 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.
What's happening with rivers in Chippewa County right now?
Chippewa County's primary USGS streamgage on the ST. MARYS RIVER has a pipeline snapshot of 58,700 cubic feet per second — 77% of the long-term mean of 76,323.33 cfs. Flow is within typical range for this gauge. For the latest gauge feed, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Chippewa County water compare to the Michigan average?
Chippewa County's SDWIS water quality score of 63.0/100 is higher 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 Chippewa County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Chippewa County has a water quality grade of B (63.0/100). This indicates good to excellent water quality with strong SDWIS compliance. 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 Chippewa County have clean drinking water?
Chippewa County has 1 health-based drinking water violation according to EPA records. With a water quality score of 63.0/100 and grade B, 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 Chippewa County rank for water quality in Michigan?
Chippewa County ranks #37 out of 83 counties in Michigan by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 63.0/100, 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

Oakland County

Michigan

B

62.6

Water score

Ingham County

Michigan

C

61.7

Water score

Washtenaw County

Michigan

C

61.4

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.

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

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