waterbycounty
EPA SDWIS

Rhea County Water Quality

Rhea County, Tennessee

Water Grade

F

Water Score

35.1

Violations

24

State Rank

#83

of 95 (1 = best)

EPA SDWIS Compliance

Drinking Water Quality

Water Quality Grade

F

Based on EPA compliance history and violation data

Water Score

35.1/100

Higher = better quality

Health Violations

24

Health-based violations

Violation Rate

46.6%

Systems with violations

Water Advisory: Rhea County

Water Verdict

Rhea County receives a poor water quality assessment with a grade of F and a score of 35.1 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

Rhea County has recorded 24 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 46.6 violations per 1,000 residents, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Residents of Rhea 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 24 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

Rhea County has poorer water quality than the average county in Tennessee. Its water score is 36.2 points lower than the state average, suggesting more challenges with contamination control or infrastructure than neighboring counties.

Clean Water Act §303(d)

Watershed Health

Impaired Water Bodies

30.4%

21 of 69 assessed

Moderate concern

Top Impairment Causes

  • 1

    ESCHERICHIA COLI (E. COLI)

  • 2

    ALTERATION IN STREAM-SIDE OR LITTORAL VEGETATIVE COVERS

  • 3

    SEDIMENTATION/SILTATION

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

35

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

5.2K

5,192 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Nutrient
  • Biological, Counts

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).

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the water quality in Rhea County, Tennessee?
Rhea County, Tennessee has a drinking-water quality grade of F with a score of 35.1/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 24 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 Rhea County?
Rhea County has 24 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 Rhea County?
EPA ATTAINS assessments under Clean Water Act §303(d) indicate 30.4% of Rhea County's 69 assessed water bodies are classified as impaired (21 impaired). The top reported causes are ESCHERICHIA COLI (E. COLI), ALTERATION IN STREAM-SIDE OR LITTORAL VEGETATIVE COVERS, SEDIMENTATION/SILTATION. 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 Rhea County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 5,192 measurements from 35 monitoring sites in Rhea County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Nutrient, Biological, Counts. 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 Rhea County water compare to the Tennessee average?
Rhea County's SDWIS water quality score of 35.1/100 is lower than the Tennessee state average of 71.3. The average water quality grade across Tennessee is C, based on data from 95 counties with available SDWIS data.
Is tap water safe to drink in Rhea County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Rhea County has a water quality grade of F (35.1/100). 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).
Why does Rhea County have so many water violations?
Rhea County has 24 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 Rhea County rank for water quality in Tennessee?
Rhea County ranks #83 out of 95 counties in Tennessee by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 35.1/100, 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

Bedford County

Tennessee

F

37.5

Water score

DeKalb County

Tennessee

F

32.0

Water score

Hawkins County

Tennessee

F

31.9

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.

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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