waterbycounty
EPA SDWIS

Colorado County Water Quality

Colorado County, Texas

Water Grade

D

Water Score

45.9

Violations

3

State Rank

#68

of 254 (1 = best)

EPA SDWIS Compliance

Drinking Water Quality

Water Quality Grade

D

Based on EPA compliance history and violation data

Water Score

45.9/100

Higher = better quality

Health Violations

3

Health-based violations

Violation Rate

22.5%

Systems with violations

Water Advisory: Colorado County

Water Verdict

Colorado County receives a below-average water quality assessment with a grade of D and a score of 45.9 out of 100. Residents should review their utility's Consumer Confidence Report and may want to consider additional water filtration for drinking.

Violation Context

Colorado County has recorded 3 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 22.5 violations per 1,000 residents, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Residents of Colorado 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 3 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

Colorado County has better water quality than the average county in Texas. Its water score is 15.5 points higher than the state average, indicating stronger water system performance relative to neighboring counties.

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

9

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

2.0K

1,966 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

2,210cfs

May 14, 6:15 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

77%

Below typical

Primary Streamgage

Colorado Rv at Columbus, TX

USGS site
08161000
Drainage area
41,640 sq mi
Long-term mean
2,889 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 Colorado County, Texas?
Colorado County, Texas has a drinking-water quality grade of D with a score of 45.9/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 3 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 Colorado County?
Colorado County has 3 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 Colorado County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 1,966 measurements from 9 monitoring sites in Colorado 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 Colorado County right now?
Colorado County's primary USGS streamgage on the Colorado Rv is currently reading 2,210 cubic feet per second — 77% of the long-term mean of 2,888.94 cfs. Flow is within typical range for this gauge. For genuine real-time data, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Colorado County water compare to the Texas average?
Colorado County's SDWIS water quality score of 45.9/100 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 Colorado County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Colorado County has a water quality grade of D (45.9/100). 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).
Does Colorado County have clean drinking water?
Colorado County has 3 health-based drinking water violations according to EPA records. With a water quality score of 45.9/100 and grade D, 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 Colorado County rank for water quality in Texas?
Colorado County ranks #68 out of 254 counties in Texas by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 45.9/100, 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

Hansford County

Texas

D

45.9

Water score

Montgomery County

Texas

D

45.7

Water score

Lee County

Texas

D

45.6

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 Logan Johnson, Founder & Data EditorUpdated Reviewed by Logan Johnson, Founder & Data Editor

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