County water report

Franklin County Water Report

Drinking-water compliance, watershed health, monitoring records, and river conditions for Franklin County, New York.

Water grade

Water score

14.3

State rank

#54

of 57

Health violations

EPA SDWIS, 5-year lookback

Watershed impaired

Not reported

EPA ATTAINS coverage varies by state

Monitoring sites

47,339 recent measurements

Live streamflow

No gauge

TROUT RIVER AT TROUT RIVER NY

Water at a glance

Key Water Indicators for Franklin County

EPA SDWIS

Safety Grade

Score: 14.3 / 100

EPA SDWIS

Active Violations

5-year health-based lookback

EPA ATTAINS

Watershed Health

Not reported

Coverage varies by state

USGS NWIS

Streamflow Snapshot

No gauge

TROUT RIVER AT TROUT RIVER NY

EPA WQP

Monitoring Sites

47,339 recent readings

Source: EPA SDWIS · Safe Drinking Water Information System

Drinking Water Compliance

Compliance grade

Based on EPA SDWIS compliance history.

Water score

Higher scores indicate cleaner recent compliance records.

14.3/100

Health violations

Health-based violations

Violations per 100K served

210.7

Population-normalized SDWIS rate

Data center water stress

Franklin County has 1 facility in the DCWSI dataset.

ByCounty's DCWSI ranks this county #2627 nationally by combining its water score with mapped data center density.

DCWSI

8.6

0-100 index

Facility count

0.0 density percentile

Discharge estimate

Not reported

EPA CWA fields where available

Water vs median

-35.7

Compared with US county median

Named operators

2CRSi

Mapped facilities

NYGC Chateaugay
2CRSi
OSM

See the Franklin County data-center report Review methodology

Data Center Water Budget Calculator

Estimate daily water use for a hypothetical facility in Franklin County.

Facility size: 100 MW

1 MW1,000 MW

Cooling type

Utilization: 70%

40%100%

799K gallons/dayHigh Impact

Your facility would use 128.6% of this county's industrial water baseline. Verify water rights and long-term drought projections before committing.

128.6% of county industrial baseline

Based on USGS 2020 water-use data and EPA-standard cooling intensity constants. Not a substitute for site-specific water rights analysis.

Editorial analysis

Understanding Franklin County’s Water

Drinking Water Quality Overview

EPA SDWIS

Franklin County's water systems carry a failing grade, scoring 14.3 out of 100. Over the past five years, EPA SDWIS records 62 health-based violations — a pattern that public water utilities are required to disclose and correct.

Monitoring Network

EPA WQP

EPA's Water Quality Portal (WQP) aggregates monitoring data from federal, state, and tribal agencies. Franklin County has extensive coverage with 54 active monitoring sites with 47,339 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 Franklin County

Water Verdict

Franklin County receives a poor water quality assessment with a grade of F and a score of 14.3 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

Franklin County has recorded 62 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 210.7 violations per 100,000 people served, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Franklin County has a Grade F compliance record with 62 health-based violations — among the highest levels in the country. Franklin County's drinking-water compliance score is 14.3 out of 100. Residents are strongly advised to use a certified NSF 58 reverse-osmosis filter or bottled water for all drinking and cooking until violations are corrected. Contacting the New York Department of Environmental Quality or Health can expedite utility compliance action. With 54 active water-quality monitoring sites in Franklin County, data coverage is strong. A pipeline streamflow snapshot from the TROUT RIVER gauge is also available on this page.

Regional Context

Franklin County has poorer water quality than the average county in New York. Its water score is 25.8 points lower than the state average, suggesting more challenges with contamination control or infrastructure than 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 Franklin County's water environment

Official EPA Resources for Franklin County

EPA How's My Waterway

Interactive watershed health data for Franklin County

EPA ECHO: Drinking Water Systems

Search water utilities and violation records for Franklin County

Consumer Confidence Reports (NY)

Annual water quality reports from utilities in New York

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

47K

47,339 total readings

Most Measured

Physical
Nutrient
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).

Free tool

Estimate Your Water Costs

Water Cost Estimate

Household size

3 people · ~225 gal/day

Filter type

Annual Total

$558

Monthly

$47

Water Bill

$558/yr

Filter Cost

$0/yr

Safety Grade for Franklin County:F — Failing

High violation count or severe watershed conditions.

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.

Try the full calculator →

Improve your water quality at home

Berkey filters remove 99.9%+ of contaminants from tap water.

Shop Berkey →

Test your tap water

Tap Score provides professional mail-in water testing.

Get Tested →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the water quality in Franklin County, New York?

Franklin County, New York has a drinking-water quality grade of F with a score of 14.3/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 62 health-based drinking water violations over the past 5 years. Watershed health, monitoring records, and streamflow snapshots are reported separately on this page.

Are there any water violations in Franklin County?

Franklin County has 62 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 Franklin County?

EPA's Water Quality Portal records 47,339 measurements from 54 monitoring sites in Franklin County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Nutrient, 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.

How does Franklin County water compare to the New York average?

Franklin County's SDWIS water quality score of 14.3/100 is lower than the New York state average of 40.1. The average water quality grade across New York is D, based on data from 57 counties with available SDWIS data.

Is tap water safe to drink in Franklin County?

Based on EPA SDWIS data, Franklin County has a water quality grade of F (14.3/100). 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).

Why does Franklin County have so many water violations?

Franklin County has 62 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 Franklin County rank for water quality in New York?

Franklin County ranks #54 out of 57 counties in New York by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 14.3/100, 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

Lewis County

New York

14.4

Water score

Montgomery County

New York

16.2

Water score

Washington County

New York

17.2

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.

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 May 14, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Explore more data for Franklin County

Property Tax Cost of Living Crime Rate Income Health Schools Disaster Risk Weather County Score