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Federal water data

County water report

Stutsman County Water Report

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

Water grade

C

Water score

56.4

State rank

#42

of 52

Health violations

2

EPA SDWIS, 5-year lookback

Watershed impaired

20.3%

59 water bodies assessed

Monitoring sites

30

20,406 recent measurements

Live streamflow

308%

JAMES RIVER AT JAMESTOWN, ND

Water at a glance

Key Water Indicators for Stutsman County

EPA SDWIS

Safety Grade

C

Score: 56.4 / 100

EPA SDWIS

Active Violations

2

5-year health-based lookback

EPA ATTAINS

Watershed Health

20% impaired

59 bodies assessed

USGS NWIS

Streamflow Snapshot

308% of mean

JAMES RIVER AT JAMESTOWN, ND

EPA WQP

Monitoring Sites

30

20,406 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.

56.4/100

Health violations

2

Health-based violations

Violations per 100K served

9.2

Population-normalized SDWIS rate

Data center water stress

Stutsman County has 2 facilities in the DCWSI dataset.

ByCounty's DCWSI ranks this county #151 nationally by combining its water score with mapped data center density.

DCWSIThe Data Center Water Stress Index: 60% the county's water-system stress plus 40% how concentrated data centers already are, scored 0-100. Higher means data-center density and water pressure overlap more here.

51.8

0-100 index

Facility count

2

45.0 density percentile

Discharge estimate

1K gal/day

EPA CWA fields where available

Water vs median

+6.4

Compared with US county median

Mapped facilities

  • APLD JAMESTOWN DATACENTER

    JAMESTOWN

    EPA ECHO

  • APLD JAMESTOWN DATACENTER

    JAMESTOWN

    EPA CWA
See the Stutsman County data-center reportReview methodology

Data Center Water Budget Calculator

Estimate daily water use for a hypothetical facility in Stutsman County.

1 MW1,000 MW
40%100%
799K gallons/dayHigh Impact

Your facility would use 188.2% of this county's industrial water baseline. Verify water rights and long-term drought projections before committing.

188.2% of county industrial baseline

Based on USGS 2020 water-use data and EPA-standard cooling intensity constants. Not a substitute for site-specific water rights analysis.

Editorial analysis

Understanding Stutsman County’s Water

Drinking Water Quality Overview

EPA SDWIS

Stutsman County's drinking water earned a C grade, scoring 56.4 out of 100. Over the past five years, EPA SDWIS records 2 health-based violations — a small cluster that warrants attention.

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 notable 20.3% of assessed waterways carry an impairment designation (12 of 59 water bodies) across Stutsman County's watersheds. The leading impairment causes are escherichia coli (e. coli) and fecal coliform. Impairment does not mean tap water is unsafe — it measures ambient waterway conditions upstream of treatment, not finished drinking water.

River & Streamflow Status

USGS NWIS

USGS NWIS gauge data (as of 2026-05-14T13:15:00.000-05:00) puts JAMES RIVER at 455.0 cfs — running significantly above its long-term average at 308% of mean flow. Streamflow is a leading indicator of drought stress, sediment load, and dilution capacity: low flows concentrate pollutants and warm water temperatures, stressing aquatic life and, in surface-water-dependent systems, the source water quality for treatment plants.

Monitoring Network

EPA WQP

EPA's Water Quality Portal (WQP) aggregates monitoring data from federal, state, and tribal agencies. Stutsman County has moderate coverage with 30 active monitoring sites with 20,406 recent measurements on record. Predominant monitoring categories include physical and nutrient. 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 Stutsman County

Water Verdict

Stutsman County, North Dakota receives a fair water quality assessment with a grade of C and a score of 56.4 out of 100. The water supply meets baseline federal standards, but there may be periods of elevated contaminant levels or infrastructure concerns worth monitoring. Separately, EPA ATTAINS assessments cover 59 water bodies in the county's watershed, with 20.3% listed as impaired under the Clean Water Act — a source-water measure that is tracked independently of tap-water compliance. At the most recent USGS reading, local streamflow was running above its historical mean at 307.6%.

Violation Context

EPA SDWIS records for Stutsman County, North Dakota show 2 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 9.2 violations per 100,000 people served, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues. This compliance record sits alongside an unusually deep monitoring archive: 20,406 water-quality results have been logged across the county in the EPA Water Quality Portal over the past five years.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Stutsman County meets baseline standards but the compliance record shows room for improvement, with a Grade C rating. Stutsman County's drinking-water compliance score is 56.4 out of 100. The violation rate for Stutsman County is 9.2 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 Stutsman County's watershed. With 30 active water-quality monitoring sites in Stutsman County, data coverage is strong. A pipeline streamflow snapshot from the JAMES RIVER gauge is also available on this page.

Regional Context

Stutsman County has poorer water quality than the average county in North Dakota. Its water score is 15.2 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 Stutsman County's water environment

Watershed Impairment Causes (EPA ATTAINS)

  • 1

    E. coli (bacteria)

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

  • 2

    Fecal coliform bacteria

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

  • 3

    Flow Regime Modification

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

Source: EPA ATTAINS · Reporting cycle 2022

Official EPA Resources for Stutsman County

EPA How's My Waterway

Interactive watershed health data for Stutsman County

EPA ECHO: Drinking Water Systems

Search water utilities and violation records for Stutsman County

Consumer Confidence Reports (ND)

Annual water quality reports from utilities in North Dakota

Clean Water Act §303(d)

Watershed Health

Impaired Water Bodies

20.3%

12 of 59 assessed

Some impairment

Top Impairment Causes

  • 1

    ESCHERICHIA COLI (E. COLI)

  • 2

    FECAL COLIFORM

  • 3

    FLOW REGIME MODIFICATION

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

30

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

20K

20,406 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Nutrient
  • 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

455cfs

May 14, 6:15 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

308%

Well above typical

Primary Streamgage

JAMES RIVER AT JAMESTOWN, ND

USGS site
06470000
Drainage area
2,820 sq mi
Long-term mean
148 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; the percent-of-typical value compares the latest reading against that average.

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 Stutsman 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 Stutsman County, North Dakota?
Stutsman County, North Dakota has a drinking-water quality grade of C with a score of 56.4/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 2 health-based drinking water violations over the past 5 years. Watershed health, monitoring records, and streamflow snapshots are reported separately on this page.
Are there any water violations in Stutsman County?
Stutsman County has 2 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 healthy are the watersheds in Stutsman County?
EPA ATTAINS assessments under Clean Water Act §303(d) indicate 20.3% of Stutsman County's 59 assessed water bodies are classified as impaired (12 impaired). The top reported causes are ESCHERICHIA COLI (E. COLI), FECAL COLIFORM, FLOW REGIME MODIFICATION. 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 Stutsman County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 20,406 measurements from 30 monitoring sites in Stutsman County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Nutrient, 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 Stutsman County right now?
Stutsman County's primary USGS streamgage on the JAMES RIVER has a pipeline snapshot of 455 cubic feet per second — 308% of the long-term mean of 147.9 cfs. This is well above typical — often a signal of recent precipitation or storm runoff. For the latest gauge feed, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Stutsman County water compare to the North Dakota average?
Stutsman County's SDWIS water quality score of 56.4/100 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 Stutsman County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Stutsman County has a water quality grade of C (56.4/100). 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 Stutsman County have clean drinking water?
Stutsman County has 2 health-based drinking water violations according to EPA records. With a water quality score of 56.4/100 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 Stutsman County rank for water quality in North Dakota?
Stutsman County ranks #42 out of 52 counties in North Dakota by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 56.4/100, 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

McKenzie County

North Dakota

C

57.5

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.

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 Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

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