waterbycounty
EPA SDWIS

Barry County Water Quality

Barry County, Missouri

Water Grade

C

Water Score

52.1

Violations

3

State Rank

#43

of 115 (1 = best)

EPA SDWIS Compliance

Drinking Water Quality

Water Quality Grade

C

Based on EPA compliance history and violation data

Water Score

52.1/100

Higher = better quality

Health Violations

3

Health-based violations

Violation Rate

13.8%

Systems with violations

Water Advisory: Barry County

Water Verdict

Barry County receives a below-average water quality assessment with a grade of C and a score of 52.1 out of 100. Residents should review their utility's Consumer Confidence Report and may want to consider additional water filtration for drinking.

Violation Context

Barry County has recorded 3 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 13.8 violations per 1,000 residents, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Barry 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

Barry County has water quality close to the average county in Missouri. Its water score is within 3.3 points of the state average, meaning its overall water system performance is broadly representative of Missouri as a whole.

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

20

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

5.2K

5,183 total readings

Most Measured

  • Nutrient
  • Physical
  • Biological, Algae, Phytoplankton

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

60.1cfs

May 14, 7:00 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

20%

Well below typical

Primary Streamgage

Flat Creek below Jenkins, MO

USGS site
07052820
Drainage area
274 sq mi
Long-term mean
303 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 Barry County, Missouri?
Barry County, Missouri has a drinking-water quality grade of C with a score of 52.1/100, 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 Barry County?
Barry 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 Barry County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 5,183 measurements from 20 monitoring sites in Barry County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Nutrient, Physical, Biological, Algae, Phytoplankton. 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 Barry County right now?
Barry County's primary USGS streamgage on the Flat Creek below Jenkins, MO is currently reading 60.1 cubic feet per second — 20% of the long-term mean of 302.59 cfs. This is well below typical — often a signal of drought stress on source water. For genuine real-time data, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Barry County water compare to the Missouri average?
Barry County's SDWIS water quality score of 52.1/100 is higher than the Missouri state average of 48.8. The average water quality grade across Missouri is D, based on data from 115 counties with available SDWIS data.
Is tap water safe to drink in Barry County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Barry County has a water quality grade of C (52.1/100). 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 Barry County have clean drinking water?
Barry County has 3 health-based drinking water violations according to EPA records. With a water quality score of 52.1/100 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 Barry County rank for water quality in Missouri?
Barry County ranks #43 out of 115 counties in Missouri by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 52.1/100, 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

Jefferson County

Missouri

D

50.5

Water score

Warren County

Missouri

D

50.3

Water score

Camden County

Missouri

D

49.9

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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