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Federal water data

County water report

Galveston County Water Report

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

Water grade

C

Water score

59.1

State rank

#39

of 254

Health violations

28

EPA SDWIS, 5-year lookback

Watershed impaired

Not reported

EPA ATTAINS coverage varies by state

Monitoring sites

191

31,512 recent measurements

Live streamflow

No gauge

Clear Ck nr Friendswood, TX

Water at a glance

Key Water Indicators for Galveston County

EPA SDWIS

Safety Grade

C

Score: 59.1 / 100

EPA SDWIS

Active Violations

28

5-year health-based lookback

EPA ATTAINS

Watershed Health

Not reported

Coverage varies by state

USGS NWIS

Streamflow Snapshot

No gauge

Clear Ck nr Friendswood, TX

EPA WQP

Monitoring Sites

191

31,512 recent readings

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.

59.1/100

Health violations

28

Health-based violations

Violations per 100K served

7.1

Population-normalized SDWIS rate

Editorial analysis

Understanding Galveston County’s Water

Drinking Water Quality Overview

EPA SDWIS

Galveston County's drinking water earned a C grade, scoring 59.1 out of 100. Over the past five years, EPA SDWIS records 28 health-based violations — a pattern that public water utilities are required to disclose and correct.

Monitoring Network

EPA WQP

EPA's Water Quality Portal (WQP) aggregates monitoring data from federal, state, and tribal agencies. Galveston County has extensive coverage with 191 active monitoring sites with 31,512 recent measurements on record. Predominant monitoring categories include physical and microbiological. 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 Galveston County

Water Verdict

Galveston County, Texas receives a fair water quality assessment with a grade of C and a score of 59.1 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 122 square miles of upstream watershed, giving local source waters a regional footprint.

Violation Context

EPA SDWIS records for Galveston County, Texas show 28 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 7.1 violations per 100,000 people served, this rate is moderate and suggests recurring water quality challenges. This compliance record sits alongside an unusually deep monitoring archive: 31,512 water-quality results have been logged across the county in the EPA Water Quality Portal over the past five years.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Galveston County meets baseline standards but the compliance record shows room for improvement, with a Grade C rating. Galveston County's drinking-water compliance score is 59.1 out of 100. The violation rate for Galveston County is 7.1 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. With 191 active water-quality monitoring sites in Galveston County, data coverage is strong. A pipeline streamflow snapshot from the Clear Ck gauge is also available on this page.

Regional Context

Galveston County has better water quality than the average county in Texas. Its water score is 28.7 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 Galveston County's water environment

Official EPA Resources for Galveston County

EPA How's My Waterway

Interactive watershed health data for Galveston County

EPA ECHO: Drinking Water Systems

Search water utilities and violation records for Galveston County

Consumer Confidence Reports (TX)

Annual water quality reports from utilities in Texas

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

191

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

32K

31,512 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Microbiological
  • Inorganics, Major, Non-metals

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

2,520cfs

May 2, 11:45 AM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

Long-term average not yet available.

Primary Streamgage

Clear Ck nr Friendswood, TX

USGS site
08077600
Drainage area
122 sq mi

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 Galveston 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 Galveston County, Texas?
Galveston County, Texas has a drinking-water quality grade of C with a score of 59.1/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 28 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 Galveston County?
Galveston County has 28 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 Galveston County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 31,512 measurements from 191 monitoring sites in Galveston County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Microbiological, Inorganics, Major, Non-metals. 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 Galveston County right now?
Galveston County's primary USGS streamgage on the Clear Ck has a pipeline snapshot of 2,520 cubic feet per second. Flow is within typical range for this gauge. For the latest gauge feed, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Galveston County water compare to the Texas average?
Galveston County's SDWIS water quality score of 59.1/100 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 Galveston County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Galveston County has a water quality grade of C (59.1/100). 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).
Why does Galveston County have so many water violations?
Galveston County has 28 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 Galveston County rank for water quality in Texas?
Galveston County ranks #39 out of 254 counties in Texas by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 59.1/100, 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

Robertson County

Texas

C

59.6

Water score

Wichita County

Texas

C

59.6

Water score

Upshur County

Texas

C

58.5

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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