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EPA SDWIS

Chaves County Water Quality

Chaves County, New Mexico

Water Grade

C

Water Score

58.1

Violations

5

State Rank

#3

of 32 (1 = best)

EPA SDWIS Compliance

Drinking Water Quality

Water Quality Grade

C

Based on EPA compliance history and violation data

Water Score

58.1/100

Higher = better quality

Health Violations

5

Health-based violations

Violation Rate

7.9%

Systems with violations

Water Advisory: Chaves County

Water Verdict

Chaves County receives a fair water quality assessment with a grade of C and a score of 58.1 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

Chaves County has recorded 5 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 7.9 violations per 1,000 residents, this rate is moderate and suggests recurring water quality challenges.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Chaves 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 5 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

Chaves County has better water quality than the average county in New Mexico. Its water score is 36.4 points higher than the state average, indicating stronger water system performance relative to neighboring counties.

Clean Water Act §303(d)

Watershed Health

Impaired Water Bodies

11.8%

8 of 68 assessed

Some impairment

Top Impairment Causes

  • 1

    TEMPERATURE

  • 2

    NUTRIENTS

  • 3

    TURBIDITY

Source: EPA ATTAINS · Reporting cycle 2022

Impairment is determined under the Clean Water Act §303(d): a water body is impaired when it fails to meet state-defined quality standards for designated uses (drinking, recreation, aquatic life). Assessment coverage varies by state — counties without assessed water bodies are not shown.

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

20

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

5.0K

5,036 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Inorganics, Minor, Metals
  • Organics, Other

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

204cfs

May 14, 6:15 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

102%

Near typical

Primary Streamgage

PECOS RIVER NEAR LAKE ARTHUR, NM

USGS site
08395500
Drainage area
14,760 sq mi
Long-term mean
201 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 Chaves County, New Mexico?
Chaves County, New Mexico has a drinking-water quality grade of C with a score of 58.1/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 5 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 Chaves County?
Chaves County has 5 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 healthy are the watersheds in Chaves County?
EPA ATTAINS assessments under Clean Water Act §303(d) indicate 11.8% of Chaves County's 68 assessed water bodies are classified as impaired (8 impaired). The top reported causes are TEMPERATURE, NUTRIENTS, TURBIDITY. Impairment means the water body fails to meet state quality standards for at least one designated use — drinking water source, recreation, aquatic life, or fish consumption. Note: watershed impairment doesn't always translate to tap-water issues; treatment plants can remove most regulated contaminants.
How much water-quality monitoring happens in Chaves County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 5,036 measurements from 20 monitoring sites in Chaves County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Inorganics, Minor, Metals, Organics, Other. 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 Chaves County right now?
Chaves County's primary USGS streamgage on the PECOS RIVER is currently reading 204 cubic feet per second — 102% of the long-term mean of 201.01 cfs. Flow is within typical range for this gauge. For genuine real-time data, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Chaves County water compare to the New Mexico average?
Chaves County's SDWIS water quality score of 58.1/100 is higher than the New Mexico state average of 21.7. The average water quality grade across New Mexico is F, based on data from 32 counties with available SDWIS data.
Is tap water safe to drink in Chaves County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Chaves County has a water quality grade of C (58.1/100). 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 Chaves County have clean drinking water?
Chaves County has 5 health-based drinking water violations according to EPA records. With a water quality score of 58.1/100 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 Chaves County rank for water quality in New Mexico?
Chaves County ranks #3 out of 32 counties in New Mexico by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 58.1/100, 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

Bernalillo County

New Mexico

D

43.4

Water score

Curry County

New Mexico

F

41.1

Water score

Eddy County

New Mexico

F

36.6

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.

Watershed health and impaired-waterway data from the EPA ATTAINS Clean Water Act §303(d) assessments — state-reported, EPA-finalized.

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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