waterbycounty
EPA SDWIS

Chariton County Water Quality

Chariton County, Missouri

Water Grade

F

Water Score

19.1

Violations

6

State Rank

#98

of 115 (1 = best)

EPA SDWIS Compliance

Drinking Water Quality

Water Quality Grade

F

Based on EPA compliance history and violation data

Water Score

19.1/100

Higher = better quality

Health Violations

6

Health-based violations

Violation Rate

140.7%

Systems with violations

Water Advisory: Chariton County

Water Verdict

Chariton County receives a poor water quality assessment with a grade of F and a score of 19.1 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

Chariton County has recorded 6 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 140.7 violations per 1,000 residents, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Residents of Chariton County are advised to use filtered or bottled water for drinking and cooking until water quality improves. A reverse-osmosis or activated-carbon filter certified to remove the contaminants listed in the utility's Consumer Confidence Report is recommended. With 6 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

Chariton County has poorer water quality than the average county in Missouri. Its water score is 29.7 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

17

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

3.3K

3,313 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

183cfs

May 14, 6:45 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

14%

Well below typical

Primary Streamgage

Chariton River near Prairie Hill, MO

USGS site
06905500
Drainage area
1,870 sq mi
Long-term mean
1,307 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 Chariton County, Missouri?
Chariton County, Missouri has a drinking-water quality grade of F with a score of 19.1/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 6 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 Chariton County?
Chariton County has 6 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 Chariton County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 3,313 measurements from 17 monitoring sites in Chariton 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 Chariton County right now?
Chariton County's primary USGS streamgage on the Chariton River is currently reading 183 cubic feet per second — 14% of the long-term mean of 1,306.95 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 Chariton County water compare to the Missouri average?
Chariton County's SDWIS water quality score of 19.1/100 is lower 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 Chariton County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Chariton County has a water quality grade of F (19.1/100). 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 Chariton County have so many water violations?
Chariton County has 6 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 Chariton County rank for water quality in Missouri?
Chariton County ranks #98 out of 115 counties in Missouri by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 19.1/100, 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

Cedar County

Missouri

F

19.2

Water score

Ralls County

Missouri

F

19.9

Water score

Ste. Genevieve County

Missouri

F

19.9

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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