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Federal water data

County water report

Cherokee County Water Report

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

Water grade

F

Water score

6.6

State rank

#204

of 254

Health violations

326

EPA SDWIS, 5-year lookback

Watershed impaired

Not reported

EPA ATTAINS coverage varies by state

Monitoring sites

9

2,755 recent measurements

Live streamflow

86%

Neches Rv nr Alto, TX

Water at a glance

Key Water Indicators for Cherokee County

EPA SDWIS

Safety Grade

F

Score: 6.6 / 100

EPA SDWIS

Active Violations

326

5-year health-based lookback

EPA ATTAINS

Watershed Health

Not reported

Coverage varies by state

USGS NWIS

Streamflow Snapshot

86% of mean

Neches Rv nr Alto, TX

EPA WQP

Monitoring Sites

9

2,755 recent readings

Source: EPA SDWIS · Safe Drinking Water Information System

Drinking Water Compliance

Compliance grade

F

Based on EPA SDWIS compliance history.

Water score

Higher scores indicate cleaner recent compliance records.

6.6/100

Health violations

326

Health-based violations

Violations per 100K served

566.3

Population-normalized SDWIS rate

Editorial analysis

Understanding Cherokee County’s Water

Drinking Water Quality Overview

EPA SDWIS

Cherokee County's water systems carry a failing grade, scoring 6.6 out of 100. Over the past five years, EPA SDWIS records 326 health-based violations — a pattern that public water utilities are required to disclose and correct.

River & Streamflow Status

USGS NWIS

USGS NWIS gauge data (as of 2026-05-04T15:00:00.000-05:00) puts Neches Rv at 1.0k cfs — running somewhat below its historical average at 86% of mean. 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. Cherokee County has limited coverage with 9 active monitoring sites with 2,755 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 Cherokee County

Water Verdict

Cherokee County receives a poor water quality assessment with a grade of F and a score of 6.6 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

Cherokee County has recorded 326 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 566.3 violations per 100,000 people served, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Cherokee County has a Grade F compliance record with 326 health-based violations — among the highest levels in the country. Cherokee County's drinking-water compliance score is 6.6 out of 100. Residents are strongly advised to use a certified NSF 58 reverse-osmosis filter or bottled water for all drinking and cooking until violations are corrected. Contacting the Texas Department of Environmental Quality or Health can expedite utility compliance action. There are 9 active water-quality monitoring sites in Cherokee County. A pipeline streamflow snapshot from the Neches Rv gauge is also available on this page.

Regional Context

Cherokee County has poorer water quality than the average county in Texas. Its water score is 23.8 points lower than the state average, suggesting more challenges with contamination control or infrastructure than 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 Cherokee County's water environment

Official EPA Resources for Cherokee County

EPA How's My Waterway

Interactive watershed health data for Cherokee County

EPA ECHO: Drinking Water Systems

Search water utilities and violation records for Cherokee County

Consumer Confidence Reports (TX)

Annual water quality reports from utilities in Texas

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

9

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

2.8K

2,755 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

1,000cfs

May 4, 8:00 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

86%

Below typical

Primary Streamgage

Neches Rv nr Alto, TX

USGS site
08032500
Drainage area
1,945 sq mi
Long-term mean
1,165 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.

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Annual Total

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Monthly

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Water Bill

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Filter Cost

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Safety Grade for Cherokee 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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the water quality in Cherokee County, Texas?
Cherokee County, Texas has a drinking-water quality grade of F with a score of 6.6/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 326 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 Cherokee County?
Cherokee County has 326 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 Cherokee County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 2,755 measurements from 9 monitoring sites in Cherokee 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 Cherokee County right now?
Cherokee County's primary USGS streamgage on the Neches Rv has a pipeline snapshot of 1,000 cubic feet per second — 86% of the long-term mean of 1,165.21 cfs. Flow is within typical range for this gauge. For the latest gauge feed, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Cherokee County water compare to the Texas average?
Cherokee County's SDWIS water quality score of 6.6/100 is lower 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 Cherokee County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Cherokee County has a water quality grade of F (6.6/100). 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 Cherokee County have so many water violations?
Cherokee County has 326 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 Cherokee County rank for water quality in Texas?
Cherokee County ranks #204 out of 254 counties in Texas by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 6.6/100, 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

Eastland County

Texas

F

6.5

Water score

Limestone County

Texas

F

6.5

Water score

Grimes County

Texas

F

6.7

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

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