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County water report

McKenzie County Water Report

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

Water grade

C

Water score

57.5

State rank

#41

of 52

Health violations

1

EPA SDWIS, 5-year lookback

Watershed impaired

4.3%

116 water bodies assessed

Monitoring sites

16

5,947 recent measurements

Live streamflow

No gauge

MISSOURI RIVER NR WILLISTON, ND

Water at a glance

Key Water Indicators for McKenzie County

EPA SDWIS

Safety Grade

C

Score: 57.5 / 100

EPA SDWIS

Active Violations

1

5-year health-based lookback

EPA ATTAINS

Watershed Health

4% impaired

116 bodies assessed

USGS NWIS

Streamflow Snapshot

No gauge

MISSOURI RIVER NR WILLISTON, ND

EPA WQP

Monitoring Sites

16

5,947 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.

57.5/100

Health violations

1

Health-based violations

Violations per 100K served

8.5

Population-normalized SDWIS rate

Editorial analysis

Understanding McKenzie County’s Water

Drinking Water Quality Overview

EPA SDWIS

McKenzie County's drinking water earned a C grade, scoring 57.5 out of 100. Over the past five years, EPA SDWIS records 1 health-based violation — a single incident worth monitoring.

Watershed Conditions

EPA ATTAINS

Under the Clean Water Act §303(d), EPA ATTAINS tracks whether waterways meet quality standards for drinking, recreation, and aquatic life (reporting cycle: 2022). A small share — 4.3% — of assessed waterways are impaired (5 of 116 water bodies) across McKenzie County's watersheds. The leading impairment causes are escherichia coli (e. coli) and benthic macroinvertebrates bioassessments. Impairment does not mean tap water is unsafe — it measures ambient waterway conditions upstream of treatment, not finished drinking water.

Monitoring Network

EPA WQP

EPA's Water Quality Portal (WQP) aggregates monitoring data from federal, state, and tribal agencies. McKenzie County has moderate coverage with 16 active monitoring sites with 5,947 recent measurements on record. Predominant monitoring categories include physical and inorganics, minor, metals. 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 McKenzie County

Water Verdict

McKenzie County receives a fair water quality assessment with a grade of C and a score of 57.5 out of 100. The water supply meets baseline federal standards, but there may be periods of elevated contaminant levels or infrastructure concerns worth monitoring.

Violation Context

McKenzie County has recorded 1 health-based violation, meaning the water system experienced at least one exceedance of federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements. At 8.5 violations per 100,000 people served, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in McKenzie County meets baseline standards but the compliance record shows room for improvement, with a Grade C rating. McKenzie County's drinking-water compliance score is 57.5 out of 100. The violation rate for McKenzie County is 8.5 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. E. coli is the leading impairment cause in McKenzie County's watershed. With 16 active water-quality monitoring sites in McKenzie County, data coverage is strong. A pipeline streamflow snapshot from the MISSOURI RIVER gauge is also available on this page.

Regional Context

McKenzie County has poorer water quality than the average county in North Dakota. Its water score is 14.1 points lower than the state average, suggesting more challenges with contamination control or infrastructure than neighboring counties.

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 McKenzie County's water environment

Watershed Impairment Causes (EPA ATTAINS)

  • 1

    E. coli (bacteria)

    Impairment cause per EPA Clean Water Act §303(d) assessment

  • 2

    Benthic Macroinvertebrates Bioassessments

    Impairment cause per EPA Clean Water Act §303(d) assessment

  • 3

    Methylmercury

    Impairment cause per EPA Clean Water Act §303(d) assessment

Source: EPA ATTAINS · Reporting cycle 2022

Official EPA Resources for McKenzie County

EPA How's My Waterway

Interactive watershed health data for McKenzie County

EPA ECHO: Drinking Water Systems

Search water utilities and violation records for McKenzie County

Consumer Confidence Reports (ND)

Annual water quality reports from utilities in North Dakota

Clean Water Act §303(d)

Watershed Health

Impaired Water Bodies

4.3%

5 of 116 assessed

Mostly healthy

Top Impairment Causes

  • 1

    ESCHERICHIA COLI (E. COLI)

  • 2

    BENTHIC MACROINVERTEBRATES BIOASSESSMENTS

  • 3

    METHYLMERCURY

Source: EPA ATTAINS · Reporting cycle 2022

Impairment is determined under the Clean Water Act §303(d): a water body is impaired when it fails to meet state-defined quality standards for designated uses (drinking, recreation, aquatic life). Assessment coverage varies by state; counties without assessed water bodies are not shown.

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

16

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

5.9K

5,947 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Inorganics, Minor, Metals
  • Nutrient

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

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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 McKenzie County:C — Moderate

Some violations or watershed impairment detected.

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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the water quality in McKenzie County, North Dakota?
McKenzie County, North Dakota has a drinking-water quality grade of C with a score of 57.5/100, 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 McKenzie County?
McKenzie 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 healthy are the watersheds in McKenzie County?
EPA ATTAINS assessments under Clean Water Act §303(d) indicate 4.3% of McKenzie County's 116 assessed water bodies are classified as impaired (5 impaired). The top reported causes are ESCHERICHIA COLI (E. COLI), BENTHIC MACROINVERTEBRATES BIOASSESSMENTS, METHYLMERCURY. Impairment means the water body fails to meet state quality standards for at least one designated use — drinking water source, recreation, aquatic life, or fish consumption. Note: watershed impairment doesn't always translate to tap-water issues; treatment plants can remove most regulated contaminants.
How much water-quality monitoring happens in McKenzie County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 5,947 measurements from 16 monitoring sites in McKenzie County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Inorganics, Minor, Metals, Nutrient. 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 McKenzie County water compare to the North Dakota average?
McKenzie County's SDWIS water quality score of 57.5/100 is lower than the North Dakota state average of 71.6. The average water quality grade across North Dakota is C, based on data from 52 counties with available SDWIS data.
Is tap water safe to drink in McKenzie County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, McKenzie County has a water quality grade of C (57.5/100). 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 McKenzie County have clean drinking water?
McKenzie County has 1 health-based drinking water violation according to EPA records. With a water quality score of 57.5/100 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 McKenzie County rank for water quality in North Dakota?
McKenzie County ranks #41 out of 52 counties in North Dakota by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 57.5/100, 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

Stutsman County

North Dakota

C

56.4

Water score

Williams County

North Dakota

C

61.7

Water score

Cass County

North Dakota

B

69.7

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.

Watershed health and impaired-waterway data from the EPA ATTAINS Clean Water Act §303(d) assessments, state-reported and EPA-finalized.

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

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