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County water report

Muskegon County Water Report

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

Water grade

A

Water score

70.1

State rank

#30

of 83

Health violations

1

EPA SDWIS, 5-year lookback

Watershed impaired

Not reported

EPA ATTAINS coverage varies by state

Monitoring sites

53

9,053 recent measurements

Live streamflow

117%

WHITE RIVER NEAR WHITEHALL, MI

Water at a glance

Key Water Indicators for Muskegon County

EPA SDWIS

Safety Grade

A

Score: 70.1 / 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

117% of mean

WHITE RIVER NEAR WHITEHALL, MI

EPA WQP

Monitoring Sites

53

9,053 recent readings

Source: EPA SDWIS · Safe Drinking Water Information System

Drinking Water Compliance

Compliance grade

A

Based on EPA SDWIS compliance history.

Water score

Higher scores indicate cleaner recent compliance records.

70.1/100

Health violations

1

Health-based violations

Violations per 100K served

0.9

Population-normalized SDWIS rate

Editorial analysis

Understanding Muskegon County’s Water

Drinking Water Quality Overview

EPA SDWIS

Muskegon County earns an A grade for drinking water quality, scoring 70.1 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 2026-05-14T13:15:00.000-05:00) puts WHITE RIVER at 533.0 cfs — flowing above its historical average at 117% 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. Muskegon County has extensive coverage with 53 active monitoring sites with 9,053 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 Muskegon County

Water Verdict

Muskegon County receives a good water quality assessment with a grade of A and a score of 70.1 out of 100. While the water supply is generally safe, occasional monitoring gaps or minor contaminant detections may occur.

Violation Context

Muskegon County has recorded 1 health-based violation, meaning the water system experienced at least one exceedance of federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements. At 0.9 violations per 100,000 people served, this rate is relatively low compared to many U.S. counties.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Muskegon County earns a Grade A overall with a small number of isolated health violations in the recent record. Muskegon County's drinking-water compliance score is 70.1 out of 100. The violation rate for Muskegon County is 0.9 per 100,000 people served. These violations were likely resolved quickly; Grade A reflects a strong multi-year compliance trend. Reviewing the most recent Consumer Confidence Report will show exactly which systems were affected and what corrective action was taken. With 53 active water-quality monitoring sites in Muskegon County, data coverage is strong. A pipeline streamflow snapshot from the WHITE RIVER gauge is also available on this page.

Regional Context

Muskegon County has better water quality than the average county in Michigan. Its water score is 11.6 points higher than the state average, indicating stronger water system performance relative to 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 Muskegon County's water environment

Official EPA Resources for Muskegon County

EPA How's My Waterway

Interactive watershed health data for Muskegon County

EPA ECHO: Drinking Water Systems

Search water utilities and violation records for Muskegon County

Consumer Confidence Reports (MI)

Annual water quality reports from utilities in Michigan

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

53

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

9.1K

9,053 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

533cfs

May 14, 6:15 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

117%

Above typical

Primary Streamgage

WHITE RIVER NEAR WHITEHALL, MI

USGS site
04122200
Drainage area
406 sq mi
Long-term mean
456 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 Muskegon 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 Muskegon County, Michigan?
Muskegon County, Michigan has a drinking-water quality grade of A with a score of 70.1/100, 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 Muskegon County?
Muskegon 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 Muskegon County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 9,053 measurements from 53 monitoring sites in Muskegon 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 Muskegon County right now?
Muskegon County's primary USGS streamgage on the WHITE RIVER has a pipeline snapshot of 533 cubic feet per second — 117% of the long-term mean of 455.79 cfs. Flow is within typical range for this gauge. For the latest gauge feed, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Muskegon County water compare to the Michigan average?
Muskegon County's SDWIS water quality score of 70.1/100 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 Muskegon County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Muskegon County has a water quality grade of A (70.1/100). 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 Muskegon County have clean drinking water?
Muskegon County has 1 health-based drinking water violation according to EPA records. With a water quality score of 70.1/100 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 Muskegon County rank for water quality in Michigan?
Muskegon County ranks #30 out of 83 counties in Michigan by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 70.1/100, 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

Wayne County

Michigan

B

69.7

Water score

Kalamazoo County

Michigan

A

71.3

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 Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

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