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Federal water data

County water report

Clay County Water Report

Drinking-water compliance, watershed health, monitoring records, and river conditions for Clay County, Mississippi.

Water grade

B

Water score

64.0

State rank

#21

of 82

Health violations

1

EPA SDWIS, 5-year lookback

Watershed impaired

Not reported

EPA ATTAINS coverage varies by state

Monitoring sites

8

138 recent measurements

Live streamflow

No gauge

TIBBEE CREEK NR TIBBEE, MS

Water at a glance

Key Water Indicators for Clay County

EPA SDWIS

Safety Grade

B

Score: 64.0 / 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

No gauge

TIBBEE CREEK NR TIBBEE, MS

EPA WQP

Monitoring Sites

8

138 recent readings

Source: EPA SDWIS · Safe Drinking Water Information System

Drinking Water Compliance

Compliance grade

B

Based on EPA SDWIS compliance history.

Water score

Higher scores indicate cleaner recent compliance records.

64.0/100

Health violations

1

Health-based violations

Violations per 100K served

4.2

Population-normalized SDWIS rate

Editorial analysis

Understanding Clay County’s Water

Drinking Water Quality Overview

EPA SDWIS

Clay County earns a B grade for drinking water quality, scoring 64.0 out of 100. Over the past five years, EPA SDWIS records 1 health-based violation — a single incident worth monitoring.

Monitoring Network

EPA WQP

EPA's Water Quality Portal (WQP) aggregates monitoring data from federal, state, and tribal agencies. Clay County has limited coverage with 8 active monitoring sites with 138 recent measurements on record. Predominant monitoring categories include physical and nutrient. 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 Clay County

Water Verdict

Clay County, Mississippi receives a fair water quality assessment with a grade of B and a score of 64.0 out of 100. The water supply meets baseline federal standards, but there may be periods of elevated contaminant levels or infrastructure concerns worth monitoring. The county's primary USGS gauge drains roughly 926 square miles of upstream watershed, giving local source waters a regional footprint.

Violation Context

EPA SDWIS records for Clay County, Mississippi show 1 health-based violation, meaning a water system experienced at least one exceedance of federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements. At 4.2 violations per 100,000 people served, this rate is moderate and suggests recurring water quality challenges. Independent monitoring is comparatively sparse here — 138 water-quality results logged in the EPA Water Quality Portal over the past five years — so the utility's own reporting carries extra weight.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Clay County scores well above average for drinking-water safety. Clay County's drinking-water compliance score is 64.0 out of 100. With 1 recorded health violation, the water supply is generally reliable. The violation rate for Clay County is 4.2 per 100,000 people served. Households with infants, pregnant individuals, or immunocompromised members may want to use an NSF 53-certified pitcher filter as a low-cost precaution. There are 8 active water-quality monitoring sites in Clay County. A pipeline streamflow snapshot from the TIBBEE CREEK gauge is also available on this page.

Regional Context

Clay County has better water quality than the average county in Mississippi. Its water score is 12.3 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 Clay County's water environment

Official EPA Resources for Clay County

EPA How's My Waterway

Interactive watershed health data for Clay County

EPA ECHO: Drinking Water Systems

Search water utilities and violation records for Clay County

Consumer Confidence Reports (MS)

Annual water quality reports from utilities in Mississippi

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

8

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

138

138 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Nutrient
  • Organics, Other

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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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 Clay 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 Clay County, Mississippi?
Clay County, Mississippi has a drinking-water quality grade of B with a score of 64.0/100, 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 Clay County?
Clay 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 Clay County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 138 measurements from 8 monitoring sites in Clay County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Nutrient, Organics, Other. 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 Clay County water compare to the Mississippi average?
Clay County's SDWIS water quality score of 64.0/100 is higher than the Mississippi state average of 51.7. The average water quality grade across Mississippi is D, based on data from 82 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 B (64.0/100). 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 Clay County have clean drinking water?
Clay County has 1 health-based drinking water violation according to EPA records. With a water quality score of 64.0/100 and grade B, 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 Mississippi?
Clay County ranks #21 out of 82 counties in Mississippi by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 64.0/100, it falls in the top 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

Forrest County

Mississippi

B

63.2

Water score

Lowndes County

Mississippi

B

63.2

Water score

Newton County

Mississippi

B

63.0

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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