waterbycounty
Compiled federal source snapshot

Rhode Island Water Quality

Drinking water data for all 5 counties.

Avg SDWIS Compliance Index

67.6

Most Common Five-Year SDWIS Compliance Band

A

Counties with Data

5

of 5 total

County water atlas

Rhode Island 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

5

Avg SDWIS index

67.6

Watersheds

5

ATTAINS counties

Monitoring

5

4 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 Rhode Island

Beyond Drinking Water

EPA SDWIS

5/ 5

counties with drinking-water compliance data

43 health violations statewide (5yr)

EPA ATTAINS

62.4%

avg impaired across 5 counties

1,319 of 2,104 assessed bodies impaired

EPA WQP

348

monitoring sites across 5 counties

38,684 total readings (5yr window)

USGS NWIS

4

counties with a fresh pipeline snapshot

3 above1 below

State atlas notes

What stands out in Rhode Island

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

Bristol County has the highest value in the published state SDWIS Compliance Index table at 86.2/100, while Washington County has the lowest at 42.2/100. That is a 44.0 point gap inside one state.

Zero health violations

2

3+ health violations

3

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.

Providence County64.0%Kent County63.4%Washington County63.3%

Monitoring hubs

Washington County244 sitesNewport County45 sitesProvidence County42 sites

Lowest flow reads

Providence County41%Newport County128%Washington County193%

Highest fresh streamflow pipeline snapshots: Kent County (218%, observation 2026), Washington County (193%, observation 2026), Newport County (128%, observation 2026). These are source-data observations, not household tap-water conclusions.

All Rhode Island Counties

CountySDWIS Compliance Index
Bristol County86.2
Kent County86.2
Providence County64.5
Newport County59.1
Washington County42.2

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Rhode Island county has the highest SDWIS Compliance Index?
Bristol County has the highest SDWIS Compliance Index in the published Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island?
Across 5 published Rhode Island county records with EPA ATTAINS data, 1,319 of 2,104 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 Rhode Island?
WaterByCounty has 4 fresh USGS pipeline snapshots in the published Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island?
The published county records contain 38,684 results from 348 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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