waterbycounty
EPA SDWIS

Isabella County Water Quality

Isabella County, Michigan

Water Grade

C

Water Score

52.3

Violations

5

State Rank

#53

of 83 (1 = best)

EPA SDWIS Compliance

Drinking Water Quality

Water Quality Grade

C

Based on EPA compliance history and violation data

Water Score

52.3/100

Higher = better quality

Health Violations

5

Health-based violations

Violation Rate

13.4%

Systems with violations

Water Advisory: Isabella County

Water Verdict

Isabella County receives a below-average water quality assessment with a grade of C and a score of 52.3 out of 100. Residents should review their utility's Consumer Confidence Report and may want to consider additional water filtration for drinking.

Violation Context

Isabella County has recorded 5 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 13.4 violations per 1,000 residents, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Isabella 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 5 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

Isabella County has poorer water quality than the average county in Michigan. Its water score is 6.2 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

41

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

15K

15,487 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Microbiological
  • Not Assigned

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

271cfs

May 14, 6:15 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

80%

Below typical

Primary Streamgage

CHIPPEWA RIVER NEAR MOUNT PLEASANT, MI

USGS site
04154000
Drainage area
416 sq mi
Long-term mean
340 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 Isabella County, Michigan?
Isabella County, Michigan has a drinking-water quality grade of C with a score of 52.3/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 5 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 Isabella County?
Isabella County has 5 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 Isabella County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 15,487 measurements from 41 monitoring sites in Isabella County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Microbiological, Not Assigned. 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 Isabella County right now?
Isabella County's primary USGS streamgage on the CHIPPEWA RIVER is currently reading 271 cubic feet per second — 80% of the long-term mean of 339.74 cfs. Flow is within typical range for this gauge. For genuine real-time data, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Isabella County water compare to the Michigan average?
Isabella County's SDWIS water quality score of 52.3/100 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 Isabella County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Isabella County has a water quality grade of C (52.3/100). 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).
Does Isabella County have clean drinking water?
Isabella County has 5 health-based drinking water violations according to EPA records. With a water quality score of 52.3/100 and grade C, 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 Isabella County rank for water quality in Michigan?
Isabella County ranks #53 out of 83 counties in Michigan by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 52.3/100, 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

Ionia County

Michigan

C

52.2

Water score

Jackson County

Michigan

C

52.5

Water score

Marquette County

Michigan

C

52.7

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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