waterbycounty
Federal water data

County water report

Ingham County Water Report

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

Water grade

C

Water score

61.7

State rank

#39

of 83

Health violations

14

EPA SDWIS, 5-year lookback

Watershed impaired

Not reported

EPA ATTAINS coverage varies by state

Monitoring sites

11

2,475 recent measurements

Live streamflow

101%

GRAND RIVER AT LANSING, MI

Water at a glance

Key Water Indicators for Ingham County

EPA SDWIS

Safety Grade

C

Score: 61.7 / 100

EPA SDWIS

Active Violations

14

5-year health-based lookback

EPA ATTAINS

Watershed Health

Not reported

Coverage varies by state

USGS NWIS

Streamflow Snapshot

101% of mean

GRAND RIVER AT LANSING, MI

EPA WQP

Monitoring Sites

11

2,475 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.

61.7/100

Health violations

14

Health-based violations

Violations per 100K served

5.3

Population-normalized SDWIS rate

Editorial analysis

Understanding Ingham County’s Water

Drinking Water Quality Overview

EPA SDWIS

Ingham County's drinking water earned a C grade, scoring 61.7 out of 100. Over the past five years, EPA SDWIS records 14 health-based violations — a pattern that public water utilities are required to disclose and correct.

River & Streamflow Status

USGS NWIS

USGS NWIS gauge data (as of 2026-05-14T14:00:00.000-05:00) puts GRAND RIVER at 937.0 cfs — near its historical average at 101% of mean flow. 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. Ingham County has moderate coverage with 11 active monitoring sites with 2,475 recent measurements on record. Predominant monitoring categories include physical and not assigned. 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 Ingham County

Water Verdict

Ingham County receives a fair water quality assessment with a grade of C and a score of 61.7 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

Ingham County has recorded 14 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 5.3 violations per 100,000 people served, this rate is moderate and suggests recurring water quality challenges.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Ingham County meets baseline standards but the compliance record shows room for improvement, with a Grade C rating. Ingham County's drinking-water compliance score is 61.7 out of 100. The violation rate for Ingham County is 5.3 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. With 11 active water-quality monitoring sites in Ingham County, data coverage is strong. A pipeline streamflow snapshot from the GRAND RIVER gauge is also available on this page.

Regional Context

Ingham County has water quality close to the average county in Michigan. Its water score is within 3.2 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 Ingham County's water environment

Official EPA Resources for Ingham County

EPA How's My Waterway

Interactive watershed health data for Ingham County

EPA ECHO: Drinking Water Systems

Search water utilities and violation records for Ingham County

Consumer Confidence Reports (MI)

Annual water quality reports from utilities in Michigan

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

11

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

2.5K

2,475 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Not Assigned
  • Microbiological

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

937cfs

May 14, 7:00 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

101%

Near typical

Primary Streamgage

GRAND RIVER AT LANSING, MI

USGS site
04113000
Drainage area
1,230 sq mi
Long-term mean
925 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 Ingham 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 Ingham County, Michigan?
Ingham County, Michigan has a drinking-water quality grade of C with a score of 61.7/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 14 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 Ingham County?
Ingham County has 14 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 Ingham County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 2,475 measurements from 11 monitoring sites in Ingham County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Not Assigned, Microbiological. 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 Ingham County right now?
Ingham County's primary USGS streamgage on the GRAND RIVER has a pipeline snapshot of 937 cubic feet per second — 101% of the long-term mean of 924.7 cfs. Flow is within typical range for this gauge. For the latest gauge feed, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Ingham County water compare to the Michigan average?
Ingham County's SDWIS water quality score of 61.7/100 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 Ingham County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Ingham County has a water quality grade of C (61.7/100). 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 Ingham County have so many water violations?
Ingham County has 14 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 Ingham County rank for water quality in Michigan?
Ingham County ranks #39 out of 83 counties in Michigan by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 61.7/100, 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

Washtenaw County

Michigan

C

61.4

Water score

Oakland County

Michigan

B

62.6

Water score

Chippewa County

Michigan

B

63.0

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

Explore more data for Ingham County

Property TaxCost of LivingCrime RateIncomeHealthSchoolsDisaster RiskWeatherCounty Score