waterbycounty
EPA SDWIS

Sanborn County Water Quality

Sanborn County, South Dakota

Water Grade

A

Water Score

86.0

Violations

0

State Rank

#23

of 63 (1 = best)

EPA SDWIS Compliance

Drinking Water Quality

Water Quality Grade

A

Based on EPA compliance history and violation data

Water Score

86/100

Higher = better quality

Health Violations

0

Health-based violations

Violation Rate

0.0%

Systems with violations

Water Advisory: Sanborn County

Water Verdict

Sanborn County receives an excellent water quality assessment with a grade of A and a score of 86.0 out of 100. The water supply meets or exceeds federal safety standards, and residents can generally drink tap water with confidence.

Violation Context

Sanborn County has recorded zero health-based violations, indicating that the water system has met all federal safety standards during the reporting period. The violation rate is zero per 1,000 residents, which is the best possible outcome.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Sanborn 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. 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

Sanborn County has better water quality than the average county in South Dakota. Its water score is 29.2 points higher than the state average, indicating stronger water system performance relative to neighboring counties.

Live USGS Streamgage

River & Stream Conditions

Current Discharge

972cfs

May 14, 6:15 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

125%

Above typical

Primary Streamgage

JAMES RIVER NEAR FORESTBURG,SD

USGS site
06477000
Drainage area
17,613 sq mi
Long-term mean
776 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 Sanborn County, South Dakota?
Sanborn County, South Dakota has a drinking-water quality grade of A with a score of 86.0/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 0 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 Sanborn County?
Sanborn County has 0 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). Zero violations is an excellent record indicating consistent compliance with federal drinking water standards.
What's happening with rivers in Sanborn County right now?
Sanborn County's primary USGS streamgage on the JAMES RIVER is currently reading 972 cubic feet per second — 125% of the long-term mean of 775.63 cfs. Flow is within typical range for this gauge. For genuine real-time data, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Sanborn County water compare to the South Dakota average?
Sanborn County's SDWIS water quality score of 86.0/100 is higher 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 Sanborn County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Sanborn County has a water quality grade of A (86.0/100). 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).
Does Sanborn County have clean drinking water?
Sanborn County has 0 health-based drinking water violations according to EPA records. With a water quality score of 86.0/100 and grade A, the county's drinking water meets EPA standards with no recorded health violations. 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 Sanborn County rank for water quality in South Dakota?
Sanborn County ranks #23 out of 63 counties in South Dakota by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 86.0/100, 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

Aurora County

South Dakota

A

86.0

Water score

Bennett County

South Dakota

A

86.0

Water score

Charles Mix County

South Dakota

A

86.0

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.

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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