waterbycounty
EPA SDWIS

Watauga County Water Quality

Watauga County, North Carolina

Water Grade

F

Water Score

30.2

Violations

27

State Rank

#87

of 100 (1 = best)

EPA SDWIS Compliance

Drinking Water Quality

Water Quality Grade

F

Based on EPA compliance history and violation data

Water Score

30.2/100

Higher = better quality

Health Violations

27

Health-based violations

Violation Rate

66.1%

Systems with violations

Water Advisory: Watauga County

Water Verdict

Watauga County receives a poor water quality assessment with a grade of F and a score of 30.2 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

Watauga County has recorded 27 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 66.1 violations per 1,000 residents, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Residents of Watauga 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 27 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

Watauga County has poorer water quality than the average county in North Carolina. Its water score is 22.8 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

41

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

9.6K

9,582 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Organics, Other
  • Biological, Counts

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

45.5cfs

May 14, 6:15 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

25%

Well below typical

Primary Streamgage

WATAUGA RIVER NEAR SUGAR GROVE, NC

USGS site
03479000
Drainage area
92.1 sq mi
Long-term mean
181 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.

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 Watauga County, North Carolina?
Watauga County, North Carolina has a drinking-water quality grade of F with a score of 30.2/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 27 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 Watauga County?
Watauga County has 27 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 Watauga County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 9,582 measurements from 41 monitoring sites in Watauga County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Organics, Other, Biological, Counts. 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 Watauga County right now?
Watauga County's primary USGS streamgage on the WATAUGA RIVER is currently reading 45.5 cubic feet per second — 25% of the long-term mean of 181.23 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 Watauga County water compare to the North Carolina average?
Watauga County's SDWIS water quality score of 30.2/100 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 Watauga County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Watauga County has a water quality grade of F (30.2/100). 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 Watauga County have so many water violations?
Watauga County has 27 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 Watauga County rank for water quality in North Carolina?
Watauga County ranks #87 out of 100 counties in North Carolina by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 30.2/100, 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

Jackson County

North Carolina

F

29.4

Water score

Avery County

North Carolina

F

31.5

Water score

Rockingham County

North Carolina

F

27.6

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

Explore more data for Watauga County

Property TaxCost of LivingCrime RateIncomeHealthSchoolsDisaster RiskWeatherCounty Score