waterbycounty
EPA SDWIS

Clay County Water Quality

Clay County, Minnesota

Water Grade

C

Water Score

62.0

Violations

3

State Rank

#55

of 87 (1 = best)

EPA SDWIS Compliance

Drinking Water Quality

Water Quality Grade

C

Based on EPA compliance history and violation data

Water Score

62/100

Higher = better quality

Health Violations

3

Health-based violations

Violation Rate

5.2%

Systems with violations

Water Advisory: Clay County

Water Verdict

Clay County receives a fair water quality assessment with a grade of C and a score of 62.0 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

Clay County has recorded 3 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 5.2 violations per 1,000 residents, this rate is moderate and suggests recurring water quality challenges.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Clay 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 3 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

Clay County has poorer water quality than the average county in Minnesota. Its water score is 5.2 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

59

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

37K

36,822 total readings

Most Measured

  • Organics, Pesticide
  • Physical
  • Nutrient

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

144cfs

May 14, 7:00 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

75%

Below typical

Primary Streamgage

BUFFALO RIVER NEAR DILWORTH, MN

USGS site
05062000
Drainage area
975 sq mi
Long-term mean
192 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 Clay County, Minnesota?
Clay County, Minnesota has a drinking-water quality grade of C with a score of 62.0/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 3 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 Clay County?
Clay County has 3 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 Clay County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 36,822 measurements from 59 monitoring sites in Clay County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Organics, Pesticide, Physical, Nutrient. 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 Clay County right now?
Clay County's primary USGS streamgage on the BUFFALO RIVER is currently reading 144 cubic feet per second — 75% of the long-term mean of 191.65 cfs. Flow is within typical range for this gauge. For genuine real-time data, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Clay County water compare to the Minnesota average?
Clay County's SDWIS water quality score of 62.0/100 is lower than the Minnesota state average of 67.2. The average water quality grade across Minnesota is C, based on data from 87 counties with available SDWIS data.
Is tap water safe to drink in Clay County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Clay County has a water quality grade of C (62.0/100). 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 Clay County have clean drinking water?
Clay County has 3 health-based drinking water violations according to EPA records. With a water quality score of 62.0/100 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 Clay County rank for water quality in Minnesota?
Clay County ranks #55 out of 87 counties in Minnesota by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 62.0/100, 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

Beltrami County

Minnesota

C

61.0

Water score

Goodhue County

Minnesota

C

60.4

Water score

Scott County

Minnesota

C

59.8

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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