waterbycounty
Compiled federal source snapshot

North Dakota Water Quality

Drinking water data for all 52 counties.

Avg SDWIS Compliance Index

69.9

Most Common Five-Year SDWIS Compliance Band

A

Counties with Data

52

of 52 total

County water atlas

North Dakota water signals by county

A state-level 2.5D view across drinking-water compliance, watershed impairment, monitoring density, and streamflow snapshot context. Pin any county, switch layers, then use the lens controls to compare index ranges, recorded violation rates, or impaired watersheds without leaving the page.

Counties

52

Avg SDWIS index

69.9

Watersheds

52

ATTAINS counties

Monitoring

52

38 fresh USGS snapshots

State atlas layers combine EPA SDWIS health-based violations, EPA ATTAINS 303(d) impairment assessments, EPA Water Quality Portal monitoring sites, and representative USGS NWIS streamflow gauges. Streamflow values appear only for fresh pipeline snapshots, not as a continuously updated stream. County pages include the observation time and year.

Prepared by ByCounty Editorial TeamPublished by WaterByCounty

Multi-source coverage in North Dakota

Beyond Drinking Water

EPA SDWIS

52/ 52

counties with drinking-water compliance data

34 health violations statewide (5yr)

EPA ATTAINS

21.4%

avg impaired across 52 counties

427 of 2,193 assessed bodies impaired

EPA WQP

733

monitoring sites across 52 counties

379,282 total readings (5yr window)

USGS NWIS

38

counties with a fresh pipeline snapshot

3 above34 below

State atlas notes

What stands out in North Dakota

County water quality is not one number. The strongest read comes from comparing drinking-water compliance against watershed impairment, monitoring density, and streamflow context. Use these signals as a starting point, then open any county profile for source-level detail.

Compliance spread

Adams County has the highest value in the published state SDWIS Compliance Index table at 86.2/100, while Sheridan County has the lowest at 3.7/100. That is a 82.5 point gap inside one state.

Zero health violations

37

3+ health violations

2

Watershed pressure

The atlas impairment layer points to counties where assessed water bodies are most likely to miss state quality standards. Assessment density varies, so compare the percentage with the number of assessed bodies on the county page.

Ransom County56.5%Logan County50.0%Richland County50.0%

Monitoring hubs

Grant County60 sitesMorton County50 sitesMercer County37 sites

Lowest flow reads

Golden Valley County0%Grant County0%Sargent County0%

Highest fresh streamflow pipeline snapshots: Ramsey County (195%, observation 2026), Eddy County (171%, observation 2026), Griggs County (146%, observation 2026). These are source-data observations, not household tap-water conclusions.

All North Dakota Counties

CountySDWIS Compliance Index
Adams County86.2
Barnes County86.2
Billings County86.2
Bowman County86.2
Burleigh County86.2
Cavalier County86.2
Dunn County86.2
Eddy County86.2
Emmons County86.2
Foster County86.2
Golden Valley County86.2
Grand Forks County86.2
Grant County86.2
Griggs County86.2
Hettinger County86.2
Kidder County86.2
LaMoure County86.2
Logan County86.2
McIntosh County86.2
Mercer County86.2
Morton County86.2
Mountrail County86.2
Nelson County86.2
Oliver County86.2
Pembina County86.2
Pierce County86.2
Ramsey County86.2
Ransom County86.2
Renville County86.2
Richland County86.2
Slope County86.2
Stark County86.2
Steele County86.2
Towner County86.2
Traill County86.2
Walsh County86.2
Ward County86.2
Cass County68.8
Stutsman County59.1
Williams County57.6
McKenzie County51.4
McLean County37.0
Rolette County32.8
Wells County30.1
Dickey County25.9
McHenry County25.1
Divide County19.3
Sargent County10.3
Benson County8.4
Burke County8.2
Bottineau County7.4
Sheridan County3.7

Frequently Asked Questions

Which North Dakota county has the highest SDWIS Compliance Index?
Adams County has the highest SDWIS Compliance Index in the published North Dakota cohort at 86.2/100. This WaterByCounty relative comparison is not an EPA score and does not establish current conditions for a utility or address.
What does the Five-Year SDWIS Compliance Band mean?
The band is derived only from each county aggregation's recorded health-violation rate per 100,000 people served for the stated five-year source window. It is separate from the relative SDWIS Compliance Index and is not a current determination for a specific utility or address.
What does EPA ATTAINS report across North Dakota?
Across 52 published North Dakota county records with EPA ATTAINS data, 427 of 2,193 assessed water bodies are listed as impaired. This is a watershed assessment and does not describe finished household tap water.
Which USGS streamflow records are shown across North Dakota?
WaterByCounty has 38 fresh USGS pipeline snapshots in the published North Dakota cohort. Each county page shows its observation timestamp and year. A pipeline snapshot is not a continuously updated reading or a tap-water safety measure.
Where can North Dakota residents find current official information?
Review the applicable utility's Consumer Confidence Report, active notices, and the state drinking-water agency. WaterByCounty's county-level historical aggregations do not establish the current status of a specific utility, address, private well, or household plumbing system.
What does Water Quality Portal monitoring volume show in North Dakota?
The published county records contain 379,282 results from 733 monitoring locations in the site's five-year aggregation. Monitoring volume does not by itself indicate better or worse water quality.

Data Sources

Drinking-water compliance data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) via the ECHO enforcement database. The WaterByCounty SDWIS Compliance Index reflects the recorded rate and is not an EPA score.

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.

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