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EPA SDWIS

Madison County Water Quality

Madison County, North Carolina

Water Grade

C

Water Score

52.0

Violations

1

State Rank

#50

of 100 (1 = best)

EPA SDWIS Compliance

Drinking Water Quality

Water Quality Grade

C

Based on EPA compliance history and violation data

Water Score

52/100

Higher = better quality

Health Violations

1

Health-based violations

Violation Rate

13.9%

Systems with violations

Water Advisory: Madison County

Water Verdict

Madison County receives a below-average water quality assessment with a grade of C and a score of 52.0 out of 100. Residents should review their utility's Consumer Confidence Report and may want to consider additional water filtration for drinking.

Violation Context

Madison County has recorded 1 health-based violation, meaning the water system experienced at least one exceedance of federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements. At 13.9 violations per 1,000 residents, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Madison 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 1 recorded health violation, 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

Madison County has water quality close to the average county in North Carolina. Its water score is within 1 points of the state average, meaning its overall water system performance is broadly representative of North Carolina as a whole.

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

17

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

9.2K

9,244 total readings

Most Measured

  • Organics, Other
  • Organics, Pesticide
  • Inorganics, Minor, Metals

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

736cfs

May 14, 6:15 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

26%

Well below typical

Primary Streamgage

FRENCH BROAD RIVER AT HOT SPRINGS, NC

USGS site
03454500
Drainage area
1,567 sq mi
Long-term mean
2,877 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 Madison County, North Carolina?
Madison County, North Carolina has a drinking-water quality grade of C with a score of 52.0/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 1 health-based drinking water violation over the past 5 years. Watershed health, monitoring records, and live streamflow are reported separately on this page.
Are there any water violations in Madison County?
Madison County has 1 health-based drinking water violation 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 Madison County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 9,244 measurements from 17 monitoring sites in Madison County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Organics, Other, Organics, Pesticide, Inorganics, Minor, Metals. 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 Madison County right now?
Madison County's primary USGS streamgage on the FRENCH BROAD RIVER is currently reading 736 cubic feet per second — 26% of the long-term mean of 2,877.41 cfs. This is well below typical — often a signal of drought stress on source water. For genuine real-time data, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Madison County water compare to the North Carolina average?
Madison County's SDWIS water quality score of 52.0/100 is lower 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 Madison County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Madison County has a water quality grade of C (52.0/100). 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).
Does Madison County have clean drinking water?
Madison County has 1 health-based drinking water violation according to EPA records. With a water quality score of 52.0/100 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 Madison County rank for water quality in North Carolina?
Madison County ranks #50 out of 100 counties in North Carolina by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 52.0/100, 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

Rutherford County

North Carolina

C

51.8

Water score

Henderson County

North Carolina

C

51.5

Water score

Duplin County

North Carolina

C

51.2

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 Logan Johnson, Founder & Data EditorUpdated Reviewed by Logan Johnson, Founder & Data Editor

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