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County water report

Deaf Smith County Water Report

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

Water grade

C

Water score

53.1

State rank

#54

of 254

Health violations

2

EPA SDWIS, 5-year lookback

Watershed impaired

Not reported

EPA ATTAINS coverage varies by state

Monitoring sites

N/A

EPA Water Quality Portal

Live streamflow

0%

Tierra Blanca Ck abv Buffalo Lk nr Umbarger, TX

Water at a glance

Key Water Indicators for Deaf Smith County

EPA SDWIS

Safety Grade

C

Score: 53.1 / 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

0% of mean

Tierra Blanca Ck abv Buffalo Lk nr Umbarger, TX

EPA WQP

Monitoring Sites

N/A

Rolling 5-year window

Source: EPA SDWIS · Safe Drinking Water Information System

Drinking Water Compliance

Compliance grade

C

Based on EPA SDWIS compliance history.

Water score

Higher scores indicate cleaner recent compliance records.

53.1/100

Health violations

2

Health-based violations

Violations per 100K served

12.3

Population-normalized SDWIS rate

Editorial analysis

Understanding Deaf Smith County’s Water

Drinking Water Quality Overview

EPA SDWIS

Deaf Smith County's drinking water earned a C grade, scoring 53.1 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 2026-05-14T14:00:00.000-05:00) puts Tierra Blanca Ck abv Buffalo Lk at 0.0 cfs — well below its long-term average at 0% of mean — low-flow conditions worth noting for water-dependent ecosystems. 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.

Editorial advisory

What the data suggests for Deaf Smith County

Water Verdict

Deaf Smith County receives a below-average water quality assessment with a grade of C and a score of 53.1 out of 100. Residents should review their utility's Consumer Confidence Report and may want to consider additional water filtration for drinking.

Violation Context

Deaf Smith County has recorded 2 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 12.3 violations per 100,000 people served, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Deaf Smith County meets baseline standards but the compliance record shows room for improvement, with a Grade C rating. Deaf Smith County's drinking-water compliance score is 53.1 out of 100. The violation rate for Deaf Smith County is 12.3 per 100,000 people served. Residents who are immunocompromised, pregnant, or have young children may benefit from using an NSF 53-certified filter. Contacting your local utility for the current Consumer Confidence Report will confirm which specific violations were recorded and whether they have been resolved. A pipeline streamflow snapshot from the Tierra Blanca Ck abv Buffalo Lk gauge is also available on this page.

Regional Context

Deaf Smith County has better water quality than the average county in Texas. Its water score is 22.7 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 Deaf Smith County's water environment

Official EPA Resources for Deaf Smith County

EPA How's My Waterway

Interactive watershed health data for Deaf Smith County

EPA ECHO: Drinking Water Systems

Search water utilities and violation records for Deaf Smith County

Consumer Confidence Reports (TX)

Annual water quality reports from utilities in Texas

Live USGS Streamgage

River & Stream Conditions

Current Discharge

0.00cfs

May 14, 7:00 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

0%

Well below typical

Primary Streamgage

Tierra Blanca Ck abv Buffalo Lk nr Umbarger, TX

USGS site
07295500
Drainage area
1,660 sq mi
Long-term mean
3.90 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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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 Deaf Smith County:D — Poor

Elevated violations or significant watershed impairment.

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 Deaf Smith County, Texas?
Deaf Smith County, Texas has a drinking-water quality grade of C with a score of 53.1/100, 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 Deaf Smith County?
Deaf Smith 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.
What's happening with rivers in Deaf Smith County right now?
Deaf Smith County's primary USGS streamgage on the Tierra Blanca Ck abv Buffalo Lk has a pipeline snapshot of 0 cubic feet per second — 0% of the long-term mean of 3.9 cfs. This is well below typical — often a signal of drought stress on source water. For the latest gauge feed, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Deaf Smith County water compare to the Texas average?
Deaf Smith County's SDWIS water quality score of 53.1/100 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 Deaf Smith County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Deaf Smith County has a water quality grade of C (53.1/100). This indicates moderate compliance. Some violations have been recorded but overall standards are maintained. 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 Deaf Smith County have clean drinking water?
Deaf Smith County has 2 health-based drinking water violations according to EPA records. With a water quality score of 53.1/100 and grade C, 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 Deaf Smith County rank for water quality in Texas?
Deaf Smith County ranks #54 out of 254 counties in Texas by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 53.1/100, 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

Live Oak County

Texas

C

53.4

Water score

Nacogdoches County

Texas

C

52.5

Water score

Brazos County

Texas

C

52.2

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.

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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