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County water report

Cumberland County Water Report

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

Water grade

B

Water score

66.6

State rank

#21

of 100

Health violations

9

EPA SDWIS, 5-year lookback

Watershed impaired

Not reported

EPA ATTAINS coverage varies by state

Monitoring sites

7

1,771 recent measurements

Live streamflow

12%

LITTLE RIVER AT MANCHESTER, NC

Water at a glance

Key Water Indicators for Cumberland County

EPA SDWIS

Safety Grade

B

Score: 66.6 / 100

EPA SDWIS

Active Violations

9

5-year health-based lookback

EPA ATTAINS

Watershed Health

Not reported

Coverage varies by state

USGS NWIS

Streamflow Snapshot

12% of mean

LITTLE RIVER AT MANCHESTER, NC

EPA WQP

Monitoring Sites

7

1,771 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.

66.6/100

Health violations

9

Health-based violations

Violations per 100K served

2.6

Population-normalized SDWIS rate

Editorial analysis

Understanding Cumberland County’s Water

Drinking Water Quality Overview

EPA SDWIS

Cumberland County earns a B grade for drinking water quality, scoring 66.6 out of 100. Over the past five years, EPA SDWIS records 9 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 2026-05-14T14:30:00.000-04:00) puts LITTLE RIVER at 47.5 cfs — well below its long-term average at 12% 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. Cumberland County has limited coverage with 7 active monitoring sites with 1,771 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 Cumberland County

Water Verdict

Cumberland County, North Carolina receives a fair water quality assessment with a grade of B and a score of 66.6 out of 100. The water supply meets baseline federal standards, but there may be periods of elevated contaminant levels or infrastructure concerns worth monitoring. The county's primary USGS gauge drains roughly 348 square miles of upstream watershed, giving local source waters a regional footprint. At the most recent USGS reading, local streamflow was below its historical mean at 11.7% — worth watching in drier seasons.

Violation Context

EPA SDWIS records for Cumberland County, North Carolina show 9 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 2.6 violations per 100,000 people served, this rate is relatively low compared to many U.S. counties. For independent context, 1,771 water-quality monitoring results have been recorded across the county in the EPA Water Quality Portal over the past five years.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Cumberland County meets baseline safety standards, though the compliance record shows some violations worth watching. Cumberland County's drinking-water compliance score is 66.6 out of 100. The violation rate for Cumberland County is 2.6 per 100,000 people served. Running tap water for 30 seconds before drinking can reduce any localized lead exposure from household plumbing. Requesting your utility's most recent Consumer Confidence Report is the fastest way to identify which specific contaminants were flagged. There are 7 active water-quality monitoring sites in Cumberland County. A pipeline streamflow snapshot from the LITTLE RIVER gauge is also available on this page.

Regional Context

Cumberland County has better water quality than the average county in North Carolina. Its water score is 13.6 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 Cumberland County's water environment

Official EPA Resources for Cumberland County

EPA How's My Waterway

Interactive watershed health data for Cumberland County

EPA ECHO: Drinking Water Systems

Search water utilities and violation records for Cumberland County

Consumer Confidence Reports (NC)

Annual water quality reports from utilities in North Carolina

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

7

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

1.8K

1,771 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Nutrient
  • Microbiological

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

47.5cfs

May 14, 6:30 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

12%

Well below typical

Primary Streamgage

LITTLE RIVER AT MANCHESTER, NC

USGS site
02103000
Drainage area
348 sq mi
Long-term mean
407 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

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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 Cumberland 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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the water quality in Cumberland County, North Carolina?
Cumberland County, North Carolina has a drinking-water quality grade of B with a score of 66.6/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 9 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 Cumberland County?
Cumberland County has 9 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 Cumberland County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 1,771 measurements from 7 monitoring sites in Cumberland County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Nutrient, Microbiological. 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 Cumberland County right now?
Cumberland County's primary USGS streamgage on the LITTLE RIVER has a pipeline snapshot of 47.5 cubic feet per second — 12% of the long-term mean of 406.72 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 Cumberland County water compare to the North Carolina average?
Cumberland County's SDWIS water quality score of 66.6/100 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 Cumberland County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Cumberland County has a water quality grade of B (66.6/100). 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).
Why does Cumberland County have so many water violations?
Cumberland County has 9 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 Cumberland County rank for water quality in North Carolina?
Cumberland County ranks #21 out of 100 counties in North Carolina by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 66.6/100, 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

Orange County

North Carolina

B

66.6

Water score

Currituck County

North Carolina

B

66.4

Water score

Sampson County

North Carolina

B

66.2

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.

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

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