waterbycounty
EPA SDWIS

Vernon County Water Quality

Vernon County, Missouri

Water Grade

D

Water Score

48.3

Violations

4

State Rank

#49

of 115 (1 = best)

EPA SDWIS Compliance

Drinking Water Quality

Water Quality Grade

D

Based on EPA compliance history and violation data

Water Score

48.3/100

Higher = better quality

Health Violations

4

Health-based violations

Violation Rate

18.6%

Systems with violations

Water Advisory: Vernon County

Water Verdict

Vernon County receives a below-average water quality assessment with a grade of D and a score of 48.3 out of 100. Residents should review their utility's Consumer Confidence Report and may want to consider additional water filtration for drinking.

Violation Context

Vernon County has recorded 4 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 18.6 violations per 1,000 residents, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Residents of Vernon 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 4 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

Vernon County has water quality close to the average county in Missouri. Its water score is within 0.5 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

13

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

1.3K

1,270 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Nutrient
  • Inorganics, Major, 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

45.8cfs

May 14, 6:45 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

5%

Well below typical

Primary Streamgage

Marmaton River near Nevada, MO

USGS site
06918060
Drainage area
1,074 sq mi
Long-term mean
987 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 Vernon County, Missouri?
Vernon County, Missouri has a drinking-water quality grade of D with a score of 48.3/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 4 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 Vernon County?
Vernon County has 4 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 Vernon County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 1,270 measurements from 13 monitoring sites in Vernon County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Nutrient, Inorganics, Major, 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 Vernon County right now?
Vernon County's primary USGS streamgage on the Marmaton River is currently reading 45.8 cubic feet per second — 5% of the long-term mean of 987.45 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 Vernon County water compare to the Missouri average?
Vernon County's SDWIS water quality score of 48.3/100 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 Vernon County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Vernon County has a water quality grade of D (48.3/100). 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).
Does Vernon County have clean drinking water?
Vernon County has 4 health-based drinking water violations according to EPA records. With a water quality score of 48.3/100 and grade D, 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 Vernon County rank for water quality in Missouri?
Vernon County ranks #49 out of 115 counties in Missouri by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 48.3/100, 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

Butler County

Missouri

D

49.5

Water score

Phelps County

Missouri

D

49.5

Water score

Newton County

Missouri

D

47.0

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.

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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