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Federal water data

County water report

Brown County Water Report

Drinking-water compliance, watershed health, monitoring records, and river conditions for Brown County, Texas.

Water grade

B

Water score

63.8

State rank

#27

of 254

Health violations

2

EPA SDWIS, 5-year lookback

Watershed impaired

Not reported

EPA ATTAINS coverage varies by state

Monitoring sites

11

3,917 recent measurements

Live streamflow

267%

Pecan Bayou at Brownwood, TX

Water at a glance

Key Water Indicators for Brown County

EPA SDWIS

Safety Grade

B

Score: 63.8 / 100

EPA SDWIS

Active Violations

2

5-year health-based lookback

EPA ATTAINS

Watershed Health

Not reported

Coverage varies by state

USGS NWIS

Streamflow Snapshot

267% of mean

Pecan Bayou at Brownwood, TX

EPA WQP

Monitoring Sites

11

3,917 recent readings

Source: EPA SDWIS · Safe Drinking Water Information System

Drinking Water Compliance

Compliance grade

B

Based on EPA SDWIS compliance history.

Water score

Higher scores indicate cleaner recent compliance records.

63.8/100

Health violations

2

Health-based violations

Violations per 100K served

4.3

Population-normalized SDWIS rate

Editorial analysis

Understanding Brown County’s Water

Drinking Water Quality Overview

EPA SDWIS

Brown County earns a B grade for drinking water quality, scoring 63.8 out of 100. Over the past five years, EPA SDWIS records 2 health-based violations — a small cluster that warrants attention.

River & Streamflow Status

USGS NWIS

USGS NWIS gauge data (as of 2025-06-10T23:45:00.000-05:00) puts Pecan Bayou at 350.0 cfs — running significantly above its long-term average at 267% of mean flow. Streamflow is a leading indicator of drought stress, sediment load, and dilution capacity: low flows concentrate pollutants and warm water temperatures, stressing aquatic life and, in surface-water-dependent systems, the source water quality for treatment plants.

Monitoring Network

EPA WQP

EPA's Water Quality Portal (WQP) aggregates monitoring data from federal, state, and tribal agencies. Brown County has moderate coverage with 11 active monitoring sites with 3,917 recent measurements on record. Predominant monitoring categories include physical and inorganics, major, non-metals. 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 Brown County

Water Verdict

Brown County, Texas receives a fair water quality assessment with a grade of B and a score of 63.8 out of 100. The water supply meets baseline federal standards, but there may be periods of elevated contaminant levels or infrastructure concerns worth monitoring. The county's primary USGS gauge drains roughly 1,660 square miles of upstream watershed, giving local source waters a regional footprint. At the most recent USGS reading, local streamflow was running above its historical mean at 267.2%.

Violation Context

EPA SDWIS records for Brown County, Texas show 2 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 4.3 violations per 100,000 people served, this rate is moderate and suggests recurring water quality challenges. For independent context, 3,917 water-quality monitoring results have been recorded across the county in the EPA Water Quality Portal over the past five years.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Brown County scores well above average for drinking-water safety. Brown County's drinking-water compliance score is 63.8 out of 100. With 2 recorded health violations, the water supply is generally reliable. The violation rate for Brown County is 4.3 per 100,000 people served. Households with infants, pregnant individuals, or immunocompromised members may want to use an NSF 53-certified pitcher filter as a low-cost precaution. With 11 active water-quality monitoring sites in Brown County, data coverage is strong. A pipeline streamflow snapshot from the Pecan Bayou gauge is also available on this page.

Regional Context

Brown County has better water quality than the average county in Texas. Its water score is 33.4 points higher than the state average, indicating stronger water system performance relative to neighboring counties.

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

Contaminants & Resources

Key issues flagged in Brown County's water environment

Official EPA Resources for Brown County

EPA How's My Waterway

Interactive watershed health data for Brown County

EPA ECHO: Drinking Water Systems

Search water utilities and violation records for Brown County

Consumer Confidence Reports (TX)

Annual water quality reports from utilities in Texas

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

11

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

3.9K

3,917 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Inorganics, Major, Non-metals
  • 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).

Live USGS Streamgage

River & Stream Conditions

Current Discharge

350cfs

Jun 11, 4:45 AM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

267%

Well above typical

Primary Streamgage

Pecan Bayou at Brownwood, TX

USGS site
08143500
Drainage area
1,660 sq mi
Long-term mean
131 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; the percent-of-typical value compares the latest reading against that average.

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 Brown County:C — Moderate

Some violations or watershed impairment detected.

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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the water quality in Brown County, Texas?
Brown County, Texas has a drinking-water quality grade of B with a score of 63.8/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 2 health-based drinking water violations over the past 5 years. Watershed health, monitoring records, and streamflow snapshots are reported separately on this page.
Are there any water violations in Brown County?
Brown County has 2 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 Brown County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 3,917 measurements from 11 monitoring sites in Brown County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Inorganics, Major, Non-metals, 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.
What's happening with rivers in Brown County right now?
Brown County's primary USGS streamgage on the Pecan Bayou has a pipeline snapshot of 350 cubic feet per second — 267% of the long-term mean of 131 cfs. This is well above typical — often a signal of recent precipitation or storm runoff. For the latest gauge feed, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Brown County water compare to the Texas average?
Brown County's SDWIS water quality score of 63.8/100 is higher than the Texas state average of 30.4. The average water quality grade across Texas is F, based on data from 254 counties with available SDWIS data.
Is tap water safe to drink in Brown County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Brown County has a water quality grade of B (63.8/100). 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 Brown County have clean drinking water?
Brown County has 2 health-based drinking water violations according to EPA records. With a water quality score of 63.8/100 and grade B, 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 Brown County rank for water quality in Texas?
Brown County ranks #27 out of 254 counties in Texas by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 63.8/100, it falls in the top 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

Gonzales County

Texas

B

63.8

Water score

Ellis County

Texas

B

64.2

Water score

Hidalgo County

Texas

B

64.2

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 Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

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