waterbycounty
Federal water data

County water report

Burke County Water Report

Drinking-water compliance, watershed health, monitoring records, and river conditions for Burke County, North Carolina.

Water grade

C

Water score

56.0

State rank

#41

of 100

Health violations

7

EPA SDWIS, 5-year lookback

Watershed impaired

Not reported

EPA ATTAINS coverage varies by state

Monitoring sites

22

1,766 recent measurements

Live streamflow

11%

CATAWBA R AT SR1223 BL LK JAMES NR BRIDGEWATER, NC

Water at a glance

Key Water Indicators for Burke County

EPA SDWIS

Safety Grade

C

Score: 56.0 / 100

EPA SDWIS

Active Violations

7

5-year health-based lookback

EPA ATTAINS

Watershed Health

Not reported

Coverage varies by state

USGS NWIS

Streamflow Snapshot

11% of mean

CATAWBA R AT SR1223 BL LK JAMES NR BRIDGEWATER, NC

EPA WQP

Monitoring Sites

22

1,766 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.

56.0/100

Health violations

7

Health-based violations

Violations per 100K served

9.6

Population-normalized SDWIS rate

Editorial analysis

Understanding Burke County’s Water

Drinking Water Quality Overview

EPA SDWIS

Burke County's drinking water earned a C grade, scoring 56.0 out of 100. Over the past five years, EPA SDWIS records 7 health-based violations — a pattern that public water utilities are required to disclose and correct.

River & Streamflow Status

USGS NWIS

USGS NWIS gauge data (as of 2026-05-14T15:00:00.000-04:00) puts CATAWBA R at 91.4 cfs — well below its long-term average at 11% 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. Burke County has moderate coverage with 22 active monitoring sites with 1,766 recent measurements on record. Predominant monitoring categories include physical and biological, counts. 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 Burke County

Water Verdict

Burke County receives a fair water quality assessment with a grade of C and a score of 56.0 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

Burke County has recorded 7 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 9.6 violations per 100,000 people served, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Burke County meets baseline standards but the compliance record shows room for improvement, with a Grade C rating. Burke County's drinking-water compliance score is 56.0 out of 100. The violation rate for Burke County is 9.6 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 22 active water-quality monitoring sites in Burke County, data coverage is strong. A pipeline streamflow snapshot from the CATAWBA R gauge is also available on this page.

Regional Context

Burke County has water quality close to the average county in North Carolina. Its water score is within 3 points of the state average, meaning its overall water system performance is broadly representative of North Carolina as a whole.

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 Burke County's water environment

Official EPA Resources for Burke County

EPA How's My Waterway

Interactive watershed health data for Burke County

EPA ECHO: Drinking Water Systems

Search water utilities and violation records for Burke County

Consumer Confidence Reports (NC)

Annual water quality reports from utilities in North Carolina

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

22

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

1.8K

1,766 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Biological, Counts
  • Nutrient

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

91.4cfs

May 14, 7:00 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

11%

Well below typical

Primary Streamgage

CATAWBA R AT SR1223 BL LK JAMES NR BRIDGEWATER, NC

USGS site
02138520
Drainage area
386.261 sq mi
Long-term mean
799 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 Burke 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.

Try the full calculator →

Improve your water quality at home

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

Shop Berkey →

Sponsored

Test your tap water

Tap Score provides professional mail-in water testing.

Get Tested →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the water quality in Burke County, North Carolina?
Burke County, North Carolina has a drinking-water quality grade of C with a score of 56.0/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 7 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 Burke County?
Burke County has 7 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 Burke County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 1,766 measurements from 22 monitoring sites in Burke County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Biological, Counts, Nutrient. 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 Burke County right now?
Burke County's primary USGS streamgage on the CATAWBA R has a pipeline snapshot of 91.4 cubic feet per second — 11% of the long-term mean of 798.76 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 Burke County water compare to the North Carolina average?
Burke County's SDWIS water quality score of 56.0/100 is higher than the North Carolina state average of 53.0. The average water quality grade across North Carolina is D, based on data from 100 counties with available SDWIS data.
Is tap water safe to drink in Burke County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Burke County has a water quality grade of C (56.0/100). 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).
Why does Burke County have so many water violations?
Burke County has 7 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 Burke County rank for water quality in North Carolina?
Burke County ranks #41 out of 100 counties in North Carolina by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 56.0/100, 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

Alamance County

North Carolina

C

56.0

Water score

Onslow County

North Carolina

C

55.7

Water score

Wake County

North Carolina

C

55.7

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

Explore more data for Burke County

Property TaxCost of LivingCrime RateIncomeHealthSchoolsDisaster RiskWeatherCounty Score