waterbycounty
Federal water data

County water report

Craven County Water Report

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

Water grade

B

Water score

67.1

State rank

#20

of 100

Health violations

3

EPA SDWIS, 5-year lookback

Watershed impaired

Not reported

EPA ATTAINS coverage varies by state

Monitoring sites

26

17,296 recent measurements

Live streamflow

21%

NEUSE RIVER NEAR FORT BARNWELL, NC

Water at a glance

Key Water Indicators for Craven County

EPA SDWIS

Safety Grade

B

Score: 67.1 / 100

EPA SDWIS

Active Violations

3

5-year health-based lookback

EPA ATTAINS

Watershed Health

Not reported

Coverage varies by state

USGS NWIS

Streamflow Snapshot

21% of mean

NEUSE RIVER NEAR FORT BARNWELL, NC

EPA WQP

Monitoring Sites

26

17,296 recent readings

Source: EPA SDWIS · Safe Drinking Water Information System

Drinking Water Compliance

Compliance grade

B

Based on EPA SDWIS compliance history.

Water score

Higher scores indicate cleaner recent compliance records.

67.1/100

Health violations

3

Health-based violations

Violations per 100K served

2.4

Population-normalized SDWIS rate

Editorial analysis

Understanding Craven County’s Water

Drinking Water Quality Overview

EPA SDWIS

Craven County earns a B grade for drinking water quality, scoring 67.1 out of 100. Over the past five years, EPA SDWIS records 3 health-based violations — a small cluster that warrants attention.

River & Streamflow Status

USGS NWIS

USGS NWIS gauge data (as of 2026-05-14T14:30:00.000-04:00) puts NEUSE RIVER at 858.0 cfs — well below its long-term average at 21% 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. Craven County has moderate coverage with 26 active monitoring sites with 17,296 recent measurements on record. Predominant monitoring categories include physical and organics, other. 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 Craven County

Water Verdict

Craven County receives a fair water quality assessment with a grade of B and a score of 67.1 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

Craven County has recorded 3 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 2.4 violations per 100,000 people served, this rate is relatively low compared to many U.S. counties.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Craven County scores well above average for drinking-water safety. Craven County's drinking-water compliance score is 67.1 out of 100. With 3 recorded health violations, the water supply is generally reliable. The violation rate for Craven County is 2.4 per 100,000 people served. Households with infants, pregnant individuals, or immunocompromised members may want to use an NSF 53-certified pitcher filter as a low-cost precaution. With 26 active water-quality monitoring sites in Craven County, data coverage is strong. A pipeline streamflow snapshot from the NEUSE RIVER gauge is also available on this page.

Regional Context

Craven County has better water quality than the average county in North Carolina. Its water score is 14.1 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 Craven County's water environment

Official EPA Resources for Craven County

EPA How's My Waterway

Interactive watershed health data for Craven County

EPA ECHO: Drinking Water Systems

Search water utilities and violation records for Craven County

Consumer Confidence Reports (NC)

Annual water quality reports from utilities in North Carolina

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

26

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

17K

17,296 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Organics, Other
  • Organics, Pesticide

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

858cfs

May 14, 6:30 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

21%

Well below typical

Primary Streamgage

NEUSE RIVER NEAR FORT BARNWELL, NC

USGS site
02091814
Drainage area
3,900 sq mi
Long-term mean
4,147 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 Craven County:C — Moderate

Some violations or watershed impairment detected.

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 Craven County, North Carolina?
Craven County, North Carolina has a drinking-water quality grade of B with a score of 67.1/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 3 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 Craven County?
Craven County has 3 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 Craven County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 17,296 measurements from 26 monitoring sites in Craven County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Organics, Other, Organics, Pesticide. 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 Craven County right now?
Craven County's primary USGS streamgage on the NEUSE RIVER has a pipeline snapshot of 858 cubic feet per second — 21% of the long-term mean of 4,146.96 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 Craven County water compare to the North Carolina average?
Craven County's SDWIS water quality score of 67.1/100 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 Craven County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Craven County has a water quality grade of B (67.1/100). This indicates good to excellent water quality with strong SDWIS compliance. 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 Craven County have clean drinking water?
Craven County has 3 health-based drinking water violations according to EPA records. With a water quality score of 67.1/100 and grade B, 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 Craven County rank for water quality in North Carolina?
Craven County ranks #20 out of 100 counties in North Carolina by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 67.1/100, 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

Cumberland County

North Carolina

B

66.6

Water score

Orange County

North Carolina

B

66.6

Water score

Currituck County

North Carolina

B

66.4

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 Craven County

Property TaxCost of LivingCrime RateIncomeHealthSchoolsDisaster RiskWeatherCounty Score