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Federal water data

County water report

Nobles County Water Report

Drinking-water compliance, watershed health, monitoring records, and river conditions for Nobles County, Minnesota.

Water grade

F

Water score

35.6

State rank

#75

of 87

Health violations

8

EPA SDWIS, 5-year lookback

Watershed impaired

Not reported

EPA ATTAINS coverage varies by state

Monitoring sites

50

2,832 recent measurements

Live streamflow

No gauge

Primary USGS station not mapped

Water at a glance

Key Water Indicators for Nobles County

EPA SDWIS

Safety Grade

F

Score: 35.6 / 100

EPA SDWIS

Active Violations

8

5-year health-based lookback

EPA ATTAINS

Watershed Health

Not reported

Coverage varies by state

USGS NWIS

Streamflow Snapshot

No gauge

Primary USGS gauge not mapped

EPA WQP

Monitoring Sites

50

2,832 recent readings

Source: EPA SDWIS · Safe Drinking Water Information System

Drinking Water Compliance

Compliance grade

F

Based on EPA SDWIS compliance history.

Water score

Higher scores indicate cleaner recent compliance records.

35.6/100

Health violations

8

Health-based violations

Violations per 100K served

44.2

Population-normalized SDWIS rate

Editorial analysis

Understanding Nobles County’s Water

Drinking Water Quality Overview

EPA SDWIS

Nobles County's water systems carry a failing grade, scoring 35.6 out of 100. Over the past five years, EPA SDWIS records 8 health-based violations — a pattern that public water utilities are required to disclose and correct.

Monitoring Network

EPA WQP

EPA's Water Quality Portal (WQP) aggregates monitoring data from federal, state, and tribal agencies. Nobles County has extensive coverage with 50 active monitoring sites with 2,832 recent measurements on record. Predominant monitoring categories include physical and inorganics, minor, metals. 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 Nobles County

Water Verdict

Nobles County receives a poor water quality assessment with a grade of F and a score of 35.6 out of 100. The water supply has documented quality issues. Residents are strongly encouraged to use filtered or bottled water for drinking and to stay informed about utility improvement plans.

Violation Context

Nobles County has recorded 8 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 44.2 violations per 100,000 people served, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Drinking-water compliance in Nobles County is rated Grade F, reflecting significant health-based violations in the recent reporting period. Nobles County's drinking-water compliance score is 35.6 out of 100. The violation rate for Nobles County is 44.2 per 100,000 people served. An NSF 53 or NSF 58-certified filter is recommended for drinking and cooking water. Check the Consumer Confidence Report from your utility to identify the specific contaminants and required corrective actions — utilities are legally required to notify customers of violations. With 50 active water-quality monitoring sites in Nobles County, data coverage is strong.

Regional Context

Nobles County has poorer water quality than the average county in Minnesota. Its water score is 31.6 points lower than the state average, suggesting more challenges with contamination control or infrastructure than 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 Nobles County's water environment

Official EPA Resources for Nobles County

EPA How's My Waterway

Interactive watershed health data for Nobles County

EPA ECHO: Drinking Water Systems

Search water utilities and violation records for Nobles County

Consumer Confidence Reports (MN)

Annual water quality reports from utilities in Minnesota

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

50

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

2.8K

2,832 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Inorganics, Minor, Metals
  • Inorganics, Major, Metals

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).

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Annual Total

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Monthly

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Water Bill

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Filter Cost

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Safety Grade for Nobles County:F — Failing

High violation count or severe watershed conditions.

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 Nobles County, Minnesota?
Nobles County, Minnesota has a drinking-water quality grade of F with a score of 35.6/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 8 health-based drinking water violations over the past 5 years. Watershed health, monitoring records, and streamflow snapshots are reported separately on this page.
Are there any water violations in Nobles County?
Nobles County has 8 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 Nobles County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 2,832 measurements from 50 monitoring sites in Nobles County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Inorganics, Minor, Metals, Inorganics, Major, Metals. 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.
How does Nobles County water compare to the Minnesota average?
Nobles County's SDWIS water quality score of 35.6/100 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 Nobles County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Nobles County has a water quality grade of F (35.6/100). This indicates below-average compliance with significant violations. Residents may want to consider home water filtration or independent testing. 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).
Why does Nobles County have so many water violations?
Nobles County has 8 health-based drinking water violations on record from the EPA SDWIS database. A higher violation count can result from aging infrastructure, underfunded water utilities, agricultural runoff contamination, or industrial pollution. Counties with more water systems may also see more violations simply due to scale. Residents concerned about water quality should consider independent water testing and home filtration systems.
How does Nobles County rank for water quality in Minnesota?
Nobles County ranks #75 out of 87 counties in Minnesota by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 35.6/100, it falls in the bottom 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

Jackson County

Minnesota

F

34.2

Water score

Marshall County

Minnesota

F

37.3

Water score

Pine County

Minnesota

F

38.3

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.

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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