waterbycounty
EPA SDWIS

Kalamazoo County Water Quality

Kalamazoo County, Michigan

Water Grade

A

Water Score

71.3

Violations

1

State Rank

#29

of 83 (1 = best)

EPA SDWIS Compliance

Drinking Water Quality

Water Quality Grade

A

Based on EPA compliance history and violation data

Water Score

71.3/100

Higher = better quality

Health Violations

1

Health-based violations

Violation Rate

0.4%

Systems with violations

Water Advisory: Kalamazoo County

Water Verdict

Kalamazoo County receives a good water quality assessment with a grade of A and a score of 71.3 out of 100. While the water supply is generally safe, occasional monitoring gaps or minor contaminant detections may occur.

Violation Context

Kalamazoo County has recorded 1 health-based violation, meaning the water system experienced at least one exceedance of federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements. At 0.4 violations per 1,000 residents, this rate is relatively low compared to many U.S. counties.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Kalamazoo County is generally safe to drink based on available data. Residents should still review their utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report for transparency on detected contaminants. With 1 recorded health violation, 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

Kalamazoo County has better water quality than the average county in Michigan. Its water score is 12.8 points higher than the state average, indicating stronger water system performance relative to neighboring counties.

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

30

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

18K

17,525 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Organics, Pesticide
  • 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

985cfs

May 14, 6:15 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

104%

Near typical

Primary Streamgage

KALAMAZOO RIVER AT COMSTOCK, MI

USGS site
04106000
Drainage area
1,010 sq mi
Long-term mean
948 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 Kalamazoo County, Michigan?
Kalamazoo County, Michigan has a drinking-water quality grade of A with a score of 71.3/100, 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 live streamflow are reported separately on this page.
Are there any water violations in Kalamazoo County?
Kalamazoo 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 Kalamazoo County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 17,525 measurements from 30 monitoring sites in Kalamazoo County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Organics, Pesticide, 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 Kalamazoo County right now?
Kalamazoo County's primary USGS streamgage on the KALAMAZOO RIVER is currently reading 985 cubic feet per second — 104% of the long-term mean of 947.98 cfs. Flow is within typical range for this gauge. For genuine real-time data, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Kalamazoo County water compare to the Michigan average?
Kalamazoo County's SDWIS water quality score of 71.3/100 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 Kalamazoo County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Kalamazoo County has a water quality grade of A (71.3/100). 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 Kalamazoo County have clean drinking water?
Kalamazoo County has 1 health-based drinking water violation according to EPA records. With a water quality score of 71.3/100 and grade A, 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 Kalamazoo County rank for water quality in Michigan?
Kalamazoo County ranks #29 out of 83 counties in Michigan by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 71.3/100, 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

Muskegon County

Michigan

A

70.1

Water score

Wayne County

Michigan

B

69.7

Water score

Macomb County

Michigan

B

68.6

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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