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EPA SDWIS

Custer County Water Quality

Custer County, South Dakota

Water Grade

F

Water Score

17.0

Violations

5

State Rank

#58

of 63 (1 = best)

EPA SDWIS Compliance

Drinking Water Quality

Water Quality Grade

F

Based on EPA compliance history and violation data

Water Score

17/100

Higher = better quality

Health Violations

5

Health-based violations

Violation Rate

163.5%

Systems with violations

Water Advisory: Custer County

Water Verdict

Custer County receives a poor water quality assessment with a grade of F and a score of 17.0 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

Custer County has recorded 5 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 163.5 violations per 1,000 residents, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Residents of Custer 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 5 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

Custer County has poorer water quality than the average county in South Dakota. Its water score is 39.8 points lower than the state average, suggesting more challenges with contamination control or infrastructure than neighboring counties.

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

29

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

1.6K

1,600 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Nutrient
  • Inorganics, Major, Non-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

30.4cfs

May 14, 6:45 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

19%

Well below typical

Primary Streamgage

CHEYENNE RIVER AT RED SHIRT, SD

USGS site
06403700
Drainage area
10,259 sq mi
Long-term mean
158 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 Custer County, South Dakota?
Custer County, South Dakota has a drinking-water quality grade of F with a score of 17.0/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 5 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 Custer County?
Custer County has 5 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 Custer County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 1,600 measurements from 29 monitoring sites in Custer County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Nutrient, Inorganics, Major, Non-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 Custer County right now?
Custer County's primary USGS streamgage on the CHEYENNE RIVER is currently reading 30.4 cubic feet per second — 19% of the long-term mean of 158.4 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 Custer County water compare to the South Dakota average?
Custer County's SDWIS water quality score of 17.0/100 is lower than the South Dakota state average of 56.8. The average water quality grade across South Dakota is D, based on data from 63 counties with available SDWIS data.
Is tap water safe to drink in Custer County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Custer County has a water quality grade of F (17.0/100). 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 Custer County have clean drinking water?
Custer County has 5 health-based drinking water violations according to EPA records. With a water quality score of 17.0/100 and grade F, 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 Custer County rank for water quality in South Dakota?
Custer County ranks #58 out of 63 counties in South Dakota by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 17.0/100, 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

Spink County

South Dakota

F

16.5

Water score

Campbell County

South Dakota

F

17.8

Water score

Mellette County

South Dakota

F

15.7

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.

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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