waterbycounty
EPA SDWIS

Montgomery County Water Quality

Montgomery County, North Carolina

Water Grade

F

Water Score

11.5

Violations

81

State Rank

#99

of 100 (1 = best)

EPA SDWIS Compliance

Drinking Water Quality

Water Quality Grade

F

Based on EPA compliance history and violation data

Water Score

11.5/100

Higher = better quality

Health Violations

81

Health-based violations

Violation Rate

279.8%

Systems with violations

Water Advisory: Montgomery County

Water Verdict

Montgomery County receives a poor water quality assessment with a grade of F and a score of 11.5 out of 100. The water supply has documented quality issues. Residents are strongly encouraged to use filtered or bottled water for drinking and to stay informed about utility improvement plans.

Violation Context

Montgomery County has recorded 81 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 279.8 violations per 1,000 residents, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Residents of Montgomery County are advised to use filtered or bottled water for drinking and cooking until water quality improves. A reverse-osmosis or activated-carbon filter certified to remove the contaminants listed in the utility's Consumer Confidence Report is recommended. With 81 recorded health violations, 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

Montgomery County has poorer water quality than the average county in North Carolina. Its water score is 41.5 points lower than the state average, suggesting more challenges with contamination control or infrastructure than neighboring counties.

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

16

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

13K

12,575 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

15.5cfs

May 14, 7:00 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

5%

Well below typical

Primary Streamgage

UWHARRIE RIVER NEAR ELDORADO, NC

USGS site
02123500
Drainage area
342 sq mi
Long-term mean
316 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 Montgomery County, North Carolina?
Montgomery County, North Carolina has a drinking-water quality grade of F with a score of 11.5/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 81 health-based drinking water violations over the past 5 years. Watershed health, monitoring records, and live streamflow are reported separately on this page.
Are there any water violations in Montgomery County?
Montgomery County has 81 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 Montgomery County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 12,575 measurements from 16 monitoring sites in Montgomery 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 Montgomery County right now?
Montgomery County's primary USGS streamgage on the UWHARRIE RIVER is currently reading 15.5 cubic feet per second — 5% of the long-term mean of 315.52 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 Montgomery County water compare to the North Carolina average?
Montgomery County's SDWIS water quality score of 11.5/100 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 Montgomery County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Montgomery County has a water quality grade of F (11.5/100). This indicates below-average compliance with significant violations. Residents may want to consider home water filtration or independent testing. 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 Montgomery County have so many water violations?
Montgomery County has 81 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 Montgomery County rank for water quality in North Carolina?
Montgomery County ranks #99 out of 100 counties in North Carolina by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 11.5/100, it falls in the bottom 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

Caswell County

North Carolina

F

6.2

Water score

Pender County

North Carolina

F

19.8

Water score

Warren County

North Carolina

F

21.7

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

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