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County water report

Polk County Water Report

Drinking-water compliance, watershed health, monitoring records, and river conditions for Polk County, Missouri.

Water grade

C

Water score

59.6

State rank

#39

of 115

Health violations

1

EPA SDWIS, 5-year lookback

Watershed impaired

Not reported

EPA ATTAINS coverage varies by state

Monitoring sites

25

2,967 recent measurements

Live streamflow

22%

Pomme de Terre River near Polk, MO

Water at a glance

Key Water Indicators for Polk County

EPA SDWIS

Safety Grade

C

Score: 59.6 / 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

22% of mean

Pomme de Terre River near Polk, MO

EPA WQP

Monitoring Sites

25

2,967 recent readings

Source: EPA SDWIS · Safe Drinking Water Information System

Drinking Water Compliance

Compliance grade

C

Based on EPA SDWIS compliance history.

Water score

Higher scores indicate cleaner recent compliance records.

59.6/100

Health violations

1

Health-based violations

Violations per 100K served

6.6

Population-normalized SDWIS rate

Editorial analysis

Understanding Polk County’s Water

Drinking Water Quality Overview

EPA SDWIS

Polk County's drinking water earned a C grade, scoring 59.6 out of 100. Over the past five years, EPA SDWIS records 1 health-based violation — a single incident worth monitoring.

River & Streamflow Status

USGS NWIS

USGS NWIS gauge data (as of 2026-05-14T13:30:00.000-05:00) puts Pomme de Terre River at 61.8 cfs — well below its long-term average at 22% of mean — low-flow conditions worth noting for water-dependent ecosystems. Streamflow is a leading indicator of drought stress, sediment load, and dilution capacity: low flows concentrate pollutants and warm water temperatures, stressing aquatic life and, in surface-water-dependent systems, the source water quality for treatment plants.

Monitoring Network

EPA WQP

EPA's Water Quality Portal (WQP) aggregates monitoring data from federal, state, and tribal agencies. Polk County has moderate coverage with 25 active monitoring sites with 2,967 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 Polk County

Water Verdict

Polk County receives a fair water quality assessment with a grade of C and a score of 59.6 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

Polk County has recorded 1 health-based violation, meaning the water system experienced at least one exceedance of federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements. At 6.6 violations per 100,000 people served, this rate is moderate and suggests recurring water quality challenges.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Polk County meets baseline standards but the compliance record shows room for improvement, with a Grade C rating. Polk County's drinking-water compliance score is 59.6 out of 100. The violation rate for Polk County is 6.6 per 100,000 people served. Residents who are immunocompromised, pregnant, or have young children may benefit from using an NSF 53-certified filter. Contacting your local utility for the current Consumer Confidence Report will confirm which specific violations were recorded and whether they have been resolved. With 25 active water-quality monitoring sites in Polk County, data coverage is strong. A pipeline streamflow snapshot from the Pomme de Terre River gauge is also available on this page.

Regional Context

Polk County has better water quality than the average county in Missouri. Its water score is 10.8 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 Polk County's water environment

Official EPA Resources for Polk County

EPA How's My Waterway

Interactive watershed health data for Polk County

EPA ECHO: Drinking Water Systems

Search water utilities and violation records for Polk County

Consumer Confidence Reports (MO)

Annual water quality reports from utilities in Missouri

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

25

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

3.0K

2,967 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Nutrient
  • Inorganics, Major, Non-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

61.8cfs

May 14, 6:30 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

22%

Well below typical

Primary Streamgage

Pomme de Terre River near Polk, MO

USGS site
06921070
Drainage area
276 sq mi
Long-term mean
280 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; the percent-of-typical value compares the latest reading against that average.

Free tool

Estimate Your Water Costs

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 Polk County:D — Poor

Elevated violations or significant watershed impairment.

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 Polk County, Missouri?
Polk County, Missouri has a drinking-water quality grade of C with a score of 59.6/100, 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 Polk County?
Polk 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 Polk County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 2,967 measurements from 25 monitoring sites in Polk County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Nutrient, Inorganics, Major, Non-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 Polk County right now?
Polk County's primary USGS streamgage on the Pomme de Terre River has a pipeline snapshot of 61.8 cubic feet per second — 22% of the long-term mean of 279.69 cfs. This is well below typical — often a signal of drought stress on source water. For the latest gauge feed, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Polk County water compare to the Missouri average?
Polk County's SDWIS water quality score of 59.6/100 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 Polk County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Polk County has a water quality grade of C (59.6/100). 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 Polk County have clean drinking water?
Polk County has 1 health-based drinking water violation according to EPA records. With a water quality score of 59.6/100 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 Polk County rank for water quality in Missouri?
Polk County ranks #39 out of 115 counties in Missouri by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 59.6/100, 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

Ray County

Missouri

C

59.8

Water score

Marion County

Missouri

C

58.3

Water score

Pulaski County

Missouri

C

58.3

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.

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 Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

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