waterbycounty
EPA SDWIS

Lawrence County Water Quality

Lawrence County, Mississippi

Water Grade

C

Water Score

57.5

Violations

1

State Rank

#36

of 82 (1 = best)

EPA SDWIS Compliance

Drinking Water Quality

Water Quality Grade

C

Based on EPA compliance history and violation data

Water Score

57.5/100

Higher = better quality

Health Violations

1

Health-based violations

Violation Rate

8.5%

Systems with violations

Water Advisory: Lawrence County

Water Verdict

Lawrence County receives a fair water quality assessment with a grade of C and a score of 57.5 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

Lawrence County has recorded 1 health-based violation, meaning the water system experienced at least one exceedance of federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements. At 8.5 violations per 1,000 residents, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Lawrence 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 1 recorded health violation, 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

Lawrence County has better water quality than the average county in Mississippi. Its water score is 5.8 points higher than the state average, indicating stronger water system performance relative to neighboring counties.

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

3

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

221

221 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Nutrient
  • Inorganics, Minor, 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).

Live USGS Streamgage

River & Stream Conditions

Current Discharge

5,490cfs

May 14, 6:15 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

79%

Below typical

Primary Streamgage

PEARL RIVER NR MONTICELLO, MS

USGS site
02488500
Drainage area
4,993 sq mi
Long-term mean
6,976 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 Lawrence County, Mississippi?
Lawrence County, Mississippi has a drinking-water quality grade of C with a score of 57.5/100, 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 live streamflow are reported separately on this page.
Are there any water violations in Lawrence County?
Lawrence 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 Lawrence County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 221 measurements from 3 monitoring sites in Lawrence County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Nutrient, Inorganics, Minor, 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.
What's happening with rivers in Lawrence County right now?
Lawrence County's primary USGS streamgage on the PEARL RIVER is currently reading 5,490 cubic feet per second — 79% of the long-term mean of 6,975.88 cfs. Flow is within typical range for this gauge. For genuine real-time data, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Lawrence County water compare to the Mississippi average?
Lawrence County's SDWIS water quality score of 57.5/100 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 Lawrence County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Lawrence County has a water quality grade of C (57.5/100). 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 Lawrence County have clean drinking water?
Lawrence County has 1 health-based drinking water violation according to EPA records. With a water quality score of 57.5/100 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 Lawrence County rank for water quality in Mississippi?
Lawrence County ranks #36 out of 82 counties in Mississippi by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 57.5/100, 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

Itawamba County

Mississippi

C

57.2

Water score

Harrison County

Mississippi

C

57.9

Water score

Kemper County

Mississippi

C

57.9

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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