waterbycounty
Federal water data

County water report

Oglala Lakota County Water Report

Drinking-water compliance, watershed health, monitoring records, and river conditions for Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota.

Water grade

N/A

Water score

N/A

State rank

N/A

Health violations

N/A

EPA SDWIS, 5-year lookback

Watershed impaired

Not reported

EPA ATTAINS coverage varies by state

Monitoring sites

4

307 recent measurements

Live streamflow

No gauge

WHITE RIVER NEAR OGLALA SD

Water at a glance

Key Water Indicators for Oglala Lakota County

EPA SDWIS

Safety Grade

N/A

Insufficient data

EPA SDWIS

Active Violations

N/A

5-year health-based lookback

EPA ATTAINS

Watershed Health

Not reported

Coverage varies by state

USGS NWIS

Streamflow Snapshot

No gauge

WHITE RIVER NEAR OGLALA SD

EPA WQP

Monitoring Sites

4

307 recent readings

Source: EPA SDWIS · Safe Drinking Water Information System

Drinking Water Compliance

Editorial analysis

Understanding Oglala Lakota County’s Water

Drinking Water Quality Overview

EPA SDWIS

Oglala Lakota County has limited drinking water data on file. Violation data are unavailable for this county.

Monitoring Network

EPA WQP

EPA's Water Quality Portal (WQP) aggregates monitoring data from federal, state, and tribal agencies. Oglala Lakota County has limited coverage with 4 active monitoring sites with 307 recent measurements on record. Predominant monitoring categories include physical and microbiological. 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 Oglala Lakota County

Water Verdict

Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota does not have sufficient EPA SDWIS water quality data to determine an overall assessment. Residents should contact their local water utility for the most recent Consumer Confidence Report. The county's primary USGS gauge drains roughly 2,156 square miles of upstream watershed, giving local source waters a regional footprint.

Violation Context

Health-based violation data is not available for Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota. EPA health violations occur when water systems exceed allowable contaminant levels or fail to meet treatment requirements. Residents should request the latest Consumer Confidence Report from their water provider. Independent monitoring is comparatively sparse here — 307 water-quality results logged in the EPA Water Quality Portal over the past five years — so the utility's own reporting carries extra weight.

Consumer Guidance

Drinking-water compliance data is not yet available for Oglala Lakota County in the EPA SDWIS system, which is common for rural areas and census areas served by private wells or small tribal systems. Residents should contact their local utility or state drinking-water agency for the most current Consumer Confidence Report. Using an NSF-certified filter (look for certifications against ANSI/NSF 53 or 58) can provide additional safety margin for any unconfirmed contaminants. A pipeline streamflow snapshot from the WHITE RIVER gauge is also available on this page.

Regional Context

State-level water quality comparison data is not available for Oglala Lakota County. When data is available, this section will show how the county's water quality compares to other counties in South Dakota.

Advisory text summarizes county-level public records and is not a replacement for your utility's current Consumer Confidence Report or direct local notices.

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

4

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

307

307 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Microbiological
  • 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).

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 Oglala Lakota 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 →

Oglala Lakota County has good water quality

Learn about water restrictions and conservation in your area.

Water Restrictions →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the water quality in Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota?
Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota has a drinking-water quality grade of N/A with a score of N/A/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. Compliance data is currently unavailable. Watershed health, monitoring records, and streamflow snapshots are reported separately on this page.
Are there any water violations in Oglala Lakota County?
Violation data for Oglala Lakota County is not currently available. Health-based violations indicate instances where contaminant levels exceeded EPA Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs).
How much water-quality monitoring happens in Oglala Lakota County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 307 measurements from 4 monitoring sites in Oglala Lakota County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Microbiological, 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.
How does Oglala Lakota County water compare to the South Dakota average?
Oglala Lakota County's SDWIS water quality score of N/A/100 is not available for comparison. 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 Oglala Lakota County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Oglala Lakota County has a water quality grade of N/A (N/A/100). Insufficient data is available to fully assess 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).
Does Oglala Lakota County have clean drinking water?
Oglala Lakota County has no reported health-based drinking water violations according to EPA records. With a water quality score of N/A/100 and grade N/A, 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 is water quality measured?
WaterByCounty layers four federal datasets per county. The A–F drinking-water grade comes from EPA SDWIS (Safe Drinking Water Act compliance, 5-year violation lookback). The Watershed Health zone surfaces EPA ATTAINS §303(d) impairment data. The Monitoring zone summarizes EPA Water Quality Portal records. The Streamflow zone reports the latest USGS NWIS reading from the county's primary streamgage. Each is reported separately so you can see where the water is actually weakest.

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.

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 Oglala Lakota County

Property TaxCost of LivingCrime RateIncomeHealthSchoolsDisaster RiskWeatherCounty Score