waterbycounty
Federal water data

County water report

Nowata County Water Report

Drinking-water compliance, watershed health, monitoring records, and river conditions for Nowata County, Oklahoma.

Water grade

F

Water score

0.7

State rank

#72

of 77

Health violations

329

EPA SDWIS, 5-year lookback

Watershed impaired

Not reported

EPA ATTAINS coverage varies by state

Monitoring sites

7

3,901 recent measurements

Live streamflow

47%

Verdigris River near Lenapah, OK

Water at a glance

Key Water Indicators for Nowata County

EPA SDWIS

Safety Grade

F

Score: 0.7 / 100

EPA SDWIS

Active Violations

329

5-year health-based lookback

EPA ATTAINS

Watershed Health

Not reported

Coverage varies by state

USGS NWIS

Streamflow Snapshot

47% of mean

Verdigris River near Lenapah, OK

EPA WQP

Monitoring Sites

7

3,901 recent readings

Source: EPA SDWIS · Safe Drinking Water Information System

Drinking Water Compliance

Compliance grade

F

Based on EPA SDWIS compliance history.

Water score

Higher scores indicate cleaner recent compliance records.

0.7/100

Health violations

329

Health-based violations

Violations per 100K served

3227.1

Population-normalized SDWIS rate

Editorial analysis

Understanding Nowata County’s Water

Drinking Water Quality Overview

EPA SDWIS

Nowata County's water systems carry a failing grade, scoring 0.7 out of 100. Over the past five years, EPA SDWIS records 329 health-based violations — a pattern that public water utilities are required to disclose and correct.

River & Streamflow Status

USGS NWIS

USGS NWIS gauge data (as of 2026-05-14T14:00:00.000-05:00) puts Verdigris River at 1.3k cfs — well below its long-term average at 47% of mean — low-flow conditions worth noting for water-dependent ecosystems. 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. Nowata County has limited coverage with 7 active monitoring sites with 3,901 recent measurements on record. Predominant monitoring categories include physical and not assigned. 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 Nowata County

Water Verdict

Nowata County receives a poor water quality assessment with a grade of F and a score of 0.7 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

Nowata County has recorded 329 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 3227.1 violations per 100,000 people served, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Nowata County has a Grade F compliance record with 329 health-based violations — among the highest levels in the country. Nowata County's drinking-water compliance score is 0.7 out of 100. Residents are strongly advised to use a certified NSF 58 reverse-osmosis filter or bottled water for all drinking and cooking until violations are corrected. Contacting the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality or Health can expedite utility compliance action. There are 7 active water-quality monitoring sites in Nowata County. A pipeline streamflow snapshot from the Verdigris River gauge is also available on this page.

Regional Context

Nowata County has poorer water quality than the average county in Oklahoma. Its water score is 15.1 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 Nowata County's water environment

Official EPA Resources for Nowata County

EPA How's My Waterway

Interactive watershed health data for Nowata County

EPA ECHO: Drinking Water Systems

Search water utilities and violation records for Nowata County

Consumer Confidence Reports (OK)

Annual water quality reports from utilities in Oklahoma

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

7

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

3.9K

3,901 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Not Assigned
  • 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).

Live USGS Streamgage

River & Stream Conditions

Current Discharge

1,320cfs

May 14, 7:00 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

47%

Well below typical

Primary Streamgage

Verdigris River near Lenapah, OK

USGS site
07171000
Drainage area
3,584 sq mi
Long-term mean
2,838 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 Nowata County:F — Failing

High violation count or severe watershed conditions.

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.

Try the full calculator →

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 Nowata County, Oklahoma?
Nowata County, Oklahoma has a drinking-water quality grade of F with a score of 0.7/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 329 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 Nowata County?
Nowata County has 329 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 Nowata County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 3,901 measurements from 7 monitoring sites in Nowata County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Not Assigned, 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.
What's happening with rivers in Nowata County right now?
Nowata County's primary USGS streamgage on the Verdigris River has a pipeline snapshot of 1,320 cubic feet per second — 47% of the long-term mean of 2,837.8 cfs. This is well below typical — often a signal of drought stress on source water. For the latest gauge feed, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Nowata County water compare to the Oklahoma average?
Nowata County's SDWIS water quality score of 0.7/100 is lower than the Oklahoma state average of 15.8. The average water quality grade across Oklahoma is F, based on data from 77 counties with available SDWIS data.
Is tap water safe to drink in Nowata County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Nowata County has a water quality grade of F (0.7/100). 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 Nowata County have so many water violations?
Nowata County has 329 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 Nowata County rank for water quality in Oklahoma?
Nowata County ranks #72 out of 77 counties in Oklahoma by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 0.7/100, 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

Atoka County

Oklahoma

F

0.6

Water score

Osage County

Oklahoma

F

0.6

Water score

Haskell County

Oklahoma

F

0.5

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

Explore more data for Nowata County

Property TaxCost of LivingCrime RateIncomeHealthSchoolsDisaster RiskWeatherCounty Score