waterbycounty
Federal water data

County water report

Mitchell County Water Report

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

Water grade

C

Water score

50.9

State rank

#56

of 100

Health violations

1

EPA SDWIS, 5-year lookback

Watershed impaired

Not reported

EPA ATTAINS coverage varies by state

Monitoring sites

5

345 recent measurements

Live streamflow

No gauge

Primary USGS station not mapped

Water at a glance

Key Water Indicators for Mitchell County

EPA SDWIS

Safety Grade

C

Score: 50.9 / 100

EPA SDWIS

Active Violations

1

5-year health-based lookback

EPA ATTAINS

Watershed Health

Not reported

Coverage varies by state

USGS NWIS

Streamflow Snapshot

No gauge

Primary USGS gauge not mapped

EPA WQP

Monitoring Sites

5

345 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.

50.9/100

Health violations

1

Health-based violations

Violations per 100K served

14.9

Population-normalized SDWIS rate

Editorial analysis

Understanding Mitchell County’s Water

Drinking Water Quality Overview

EPA SDWIS

Mitchell County's drinking water earned a C grade, scoring 50.9 out of 100. Over the past five years, EPA SDWIS records 1 health-based violation — a single incident worth monitoring.

Monitoring Network

EPA WQP

EPA's Water Quality Portal (WQP) aggregates monitoring data from federal, state, and tribal agencies. Mitchell County has limited coverage with 5 active monitoring sites with 345 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 Mitchell County

Water Verdict

Mitchell County receives a below-average water quality assessment with a grade of C and a score of 50.9 out of 100. Residents should review their utility's Consumer Confidence Report and may want to consider additional water filtration for drinking.

Violation Context

Mitchell County has recorded 1 health-based violation, meaning the water system experienced at least one exceedance of federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements. At 14.9 violations per 100,000 people served, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Mitchell County meets baseline standards but the compliance record shows room for improvement, with a Grade C rating. Mitchell County's drinking-water compliance score is 50.9 out of 100. The violation rate for Mitchell County is 14.9 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. There are 5 active water-quality monitoring sites in Mitchell County.

Regional Context

Mitchell County has water quality close to the average county in North Carolina. Its water score is within 2.1 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 Mitchell County's water environment

Official EPA Resources for Mitchell County

EPA How's My Waterway

Interactive watershed health data for Mitchell County

EPA ECHO: Drinking Water Systems

Search water utilities and violation records for Mitchell County

Consumer Confidence Reports (NC)

Annual water quality reports from utilities in North Carolina

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

5

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

345

345 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Biological, Counts
  • Inorganics, Major, Non-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).

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 Mitchell 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 Mitchell County, North Carolina?
Mitchell County, North Carolina has a drinking-water quality grade of C with a score of 50.9/100, 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 streamflow snapshots are reported separately on this page.
Are there any water violations in Mitchell County?
Mitchell 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 Mitchell County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 345 measurements from 5 monitoring sites in Mitchell County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Biological, Counts, Inorganics, Major, Non-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.
How does Mitchell County water compare to the North Carolina average?
Mitchell County's SDWIS water quality score of 50.9/100 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 Mitchell County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Mitchell County has a water quality grade of C (50.9/100). 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 Mitchell County have clean drinking water?
Mitchell County has 1 health-based drinking water violation according to EPA records. With a water quality score of 50.9/100 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 Mitchell County rank for water quality in North Carolina?
Mitchell County ranks #56 out of 100 counties in North Carolina by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 50.9/100, 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

Buncombe County

North Carolina

C

50.9

Water score

Chatham County

North Carolina

C

51.0

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.

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 Mitchell County

Property TaxCost of LivingCrime RateIncomeHealthSchoolsDisaster RiskWeatherCounty Score