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EPA SDWIS

Providence County Water Quality

Providence County, Rhode Island

Water Grade

B

Water Score

68.2

Violations

11

State Rank

#3

of 5 (1 = best)

EPA SDWIS Compliance

Drinking Water Quality

Water Quality Grade

B

Based on EPA compliance history and violation data

Water Score

68.2/100

Higher = better quality

Health Violations

11

Health-based violations

Violation Rate

1.8%

Systems with violations

Water Advisory: Providence County

Water Verdict

Providence County receives a fair water quality assessment with a grade of B and a score of 68.2 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

Providence County has recorded 11 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 1.8 violations per 1,000 residents, this rate is relatively low compared to many U.S. counties.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Providence County is generally safe to drink based on available data. Residents should still review their utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report for transparency on detected contaminants. With 11 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

Providence County has water quality close to the average county in Rhode Island. Its water score is within 3.2 points of the state average, meaning its overall water system performance is broadly representative of Rhode Island as a whole.

Clean Water Act §303(d)

Watershed Health

Impaired Water Bodies

40.3%

350 of 868 assessed

Moderate concern

Top Impairment Causes

  • 1

    ENTEROCOCCUS

  • 2

    FECAL COLIFORM

  • 3

    NON-NATIVE AQUATIC PLANTS

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

42

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

16K

16,325 total readings

Most Measured

  • Nutrient
  • Physical
  • Inorganics, Major, 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

429cfs

May 14, 6:15 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

45%

Well below typical

Primary Streamgage

BLACKSTONE R AT ROOSEVELT ST AT PAWTUCKET RI

USGS site
01113895
Drainage area
474 sq mi
Long-term mean
945 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 Providence County, Rhode Island?
Providence County, Rhode Island has a drinking-water quality grade of B with a score of 68.2/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 11 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 Providence County?
Providence County has 11 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 Providence County?
EPA ATTAINS assessments under Clean Water Act §303(d) indicate 40.3% of Providence County's 868 assessed water bodies are classified as impaired (350 impaired). The top reported causes are ENTEROCOCCUS, FECAL COLIFORM, NON-NATIVE AQUATIC PLANTS. 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 Providence County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 16,325 measurements from 42 monitoring sites in Providence County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Nutrient, Physical, Inorganics, Major, 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 Providence County right now?
Providence County's primary USGS streamgage on the BLACKSTONE R is currently reading 429 cubic feet per second — 45% of the long-term mean of 944.91 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 Providence County water compare to the Rhode Island average?
Providence County's SDWIS water quality score of 68.2/100 is higher than the Rhode Island state average of 65.0. The average water quality grade across Rhode Island is C, based on data from 5 counties with available SDWIS data.
Is tap water safe to drink in Providence County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Providence County has a water quality grade of B (68.2/100). This indicates good to excellent water quality with strong SDWIS compliance. 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 Providence County have so many water violations?
Providence County has 11 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 Providence County rank for water quality in Rhode Island?
Providence County ranks #3 out of 5 counties in Rhode Island by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 68.2/100, 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

Bristol County

Rhode Island

A

86.0

Water score

Kent County

Rhode Island

A

86.0

Water score

Newport County

Rhode Island

D

49.6

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, 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 Logan Johnson, Founder & Data EditorUpdated Reviewed by Logan Johnson, Founder & Data Editor

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