waterbycounty
Federal water data

County water report

Wexford County Water Report

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

Water grade

C

Water score

58.9

State rank

#44

of 83

Health violations

1

EPA SDWIS, 5-year lookback

Watershed impaired

Not reported

EPA ATTAINS coverage varies by state

Monitoring sites

9

729 recent measurements

Live streamflow

156%

MANISTEE RIVER NEAR SHERMAN, MI

Water at a glance

Key Water Indicators for Wexford County

EPA SDWIS

Safety Grade

C

Score: 58.9 / 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

156% of mean

MANISTEE RIVER NEAR SHERMAN, MI

EPA WQP

Monitoring Sites

9

729 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.

58.9/100

Health violations

1

Health-based violations

Violations per 100K served

7.3

Population-normalized SDWIS rate

Editorial analysis

Understanding Wexford County’s Water

Drinking Water Quality Overview

EPA SDWIS

Wexford County's drinking water earned a C grade, scoring 58.9 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 2026-05-14T13:45:00.000-05:00) puts MANISTEE RIVER at 1.7k cfs — running significantly above its long-term average at 156% 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. Wexford County has limited coverage with 9 active monitoring sites with 729 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 Wexford County

Water Verdict

Wexford County receives a fair water quality assessment with a grade of C and a score of 58.9 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

Wexford County has recorded 1 health-based violation, meaning the water system experienced at least one exceedance of federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements. At 7.3 violations per 100,000 people served, this rate is moderate and suggests recurring water quality challenges.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Wexford County meets baseline standards but the compliance record shows room for improvement, with a Grade C rating. Wexford County's drinking-water compliance score is 58.9 out of 100. The violation rate for Wexford County is 7.3 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. There are 9 active water-quality monitoring sites in Wexford County. A pipeline streamflow snapshot from the MANISTEE RIVER gauge is also available on this page.

Regional Context

Wexford County has water quality close to the average county in Michigan. Its water score is within 0.4 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 Wexford County's water environment

Official EPA Resources for Wexford County

EPA How's My Waterway

Interactive watershed health data for Wexford County

EPA ECHO: Drinking Water Systems

Search water utilities and violation records for Wexford County

Consumer Confidence Reports (MI)

Annual water quality reports from utilities in Michigan

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

9

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

729

729 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

1,660cfs

May 14, 6:45 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

156%

Well above typical

Primary Streamgage

MANISTEE RIVER NEAR SHERMAN, MI

USGS site
04124000
Drainage area
857 sq mi
Long-term mean
1,066 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 Wexford County:D — Poor

Elevated violations or significant watershed impairment.

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 Wexford County, Michigan?
Wexford County, Michigan has a drinking-water quality grade of C with a score of 58.9/100, 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 Wexford County?
Wexford 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 Wexford County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 729 measurements from 9 monitoring sites in Wexford 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 Wexford County right now?
Wexford County's primary USGS streamgage on the MANISTEE RIVER has a pipeline snapshot of 1,660 cubic feet per second — 156% of the long-term mean of 1,066.42 cfs. This is well above typical — often a signal of recent precipitation or storm runoff. For the latest gauge feed, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Wexford County water compare to the Michigan average?
Wexford County's SDWIS water quality score of 58.9/100 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 Wexford County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Wexford County has a water quality grade of C (58.9/100). 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 Wexford County have clean drinking water?
Wexford County has 1 health-based drinking water violation according to EPA records. With a water quality score of 58.9/100 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 Wexford County rank for water quality in Michigan?
Wexford County ranks #44 out of 83 counties in Michigan by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 58.9/100, 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

Bay County

Michigan

C

59.1

Water score

Ottawa County

Michigan

C

60.1

Water score

Huron County

Michigan

C

60.4

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

Explore more data for Wexford County

Property TaxCost of LivingCrime RateIncomeHealthSchoolsDisaster RiskWeatherCounty Score