waterbycounty
EPA SDWIS

Hood River County Water Quality

Hood River County, Oregon

Water Grade

D

Water Score

49.3

Violations

4

State Rank

#14

of 36 (1 = best)

EPA SDWIS Compliance

Drinking Water Quality

Water Quality Grade

D

Based on EPA compliance history and violation data

Water Score

49.3/100

Higher = better quality

Health Violations

4

Health-based violations

Violation Rate

17.5%

Systems with violations

Water Advisory: Hood River County

Water Verdict

Hood River County receives a below-average water quality assessment with a grade of D and a score of 49.3 out of 100. Residents should review their utility's Consumer Confidence Report and may want to consider additional water filtration for drinking.

Violation Context

Hood River County has recorded 4 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 17.5 violations per 1,000 residents, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Residents of Hood River 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 4 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

Hood River County has water quality close to the average county in Oregon. Its water score is within 4.7 points of the state average, meaning its overall water system performance is broadly representative of Oregon as a whole.

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

22

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

27K

27,305 total readings

Most Measured

  • Organics, Pesticide
  • Physical
  • Microbiological

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, 6:30 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

47%

Well below typical

Primary Streamgage

HOOD RIVER AT TUCKER BRIDGE, NEAR HOOD RIVER, OR

USGS site
14120000
Drainage area
279 sq mi
Long-term mean
967 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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the water quality in Hood River County, Oregon?
Hood River County, Oregon has a drinking-water quality grade of D with a score of 49.3/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 4 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 Hood River County?
Hood River County has 4 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 Hood River County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 27,305 measurements from 22 monitoring sites in Hood River County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Organics, Pesticide, Physical, Microbiological. 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 Hood River County right now?
Hood River County's primary USGS streamgage on the HOOD RIVER is currently reading 455 cubic feet per second — 47% of the long-term mean of 967.36 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 Hood River County water compare to the Oregon average?
Hood River County's SDWIS water quality score of 49.3/100 is higher than the Oregon state average of 44.6. The average water quality grade across Oregon is D, based on data from 36 counties with available SDWIS data.
Is tap water safe to drink in Hood River County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Hood River County has a water quality grade of D (49.3/100). 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).
Does Hood River County have clean drinking water?
Hood River County has 4 health-based drinking water violations according to EPA records. With a water quality score of 49.3/100 and grade D, 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 Hood River County rank for water quality in Oregon?
Hood River County ranks #14 out of 36 counties in Oregon by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 49.3/100, it falls in the middle 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

Klamath County

Oregon

D

50.1

Water score

Marion County

Oregon

D

50.4

Water score

Umatilla County

Oregon

D

45.9

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

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