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EPA SDWIS

Nueces County Water Quality

Nueces County, Texas

Water Grade

C

Water Score

55.5

Violations

37

State Rank

#50

of 254 (1 = best)

EPA SDWIS Compliance

Drinking Water Quality

Water Quality Grade

C

Based on EPA compliance history and violation data

Water Score

55.5/100

Higher = better quality

Health Violations

37

Health-based violations

Violation Rate

10.0%

Systems with violations

Water Advisory: Nueces County

Water Verdict

Nueces County receives a fair water quality assessment with a grade of C and a score of 55.5 out of 100. The water supply meets baseline federal standards, but there may be periods of elevated contaminant levels or infrastructure concerns worth monitoring.

Violation Context

Nueces County has recorded 37 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 10.0 violations per 1,000 residents, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Nueces County meets baseline standards, but residents who are immunocompromised or have young children may want to use an NSF-certified water filter as a precaution. With 37 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

Nueces County has better water quality than the average county in Texas. Its water score is 25.1 points higher than the state average, indicating stronger water system performance relative to neighboring counties.

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

84

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

27K

26,894 total readings

Most Measured

  • Microbiological
  • Physical
  • 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

0.00cfs

May 14, 6:30 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

0%

Well below typical

Primary Streamgage

Nueces Rv at Calallen, TX

USGS site
08211500
Drainage area
16,684 sq mi
Long-term mean
359 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 Nueces County, Texas?
Nueces County, Texas has a drinking-water quality grade of C with a score of 55.5/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 37 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 Nueces County?
Nueces County has 37 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 Nueces County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 26,894 measurements from 84 monitoring sites in Nueces County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Microbiological, Physical, 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 Nueces County right now?
Nueces County's primary USGS streamgage on the Nueces Rv is currently reading 0 cubic feet per second — 0% of the long-term mean of 359.16 cfs. This is well below typical — often a signal of drought stress on source water. For genuine real-time data, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Nueces County water compare to the Texas average?
Nueces County's SDWIS water quality score of 55.5/100 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 Nueces County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Nueces County has a water quality grade of C (55.5/100). 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 Nueces County have so many water violations?
Nueces County has 37 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 Nueces County rank for water quality in Texas?
Nueces County ranks #50 out of 254 counties in Texas by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 55.5/100, 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

Gray County

Texas

C

55.6

Water score

Moore County

Texas

C

55.2

Water score

Archer County

Texas

C

55.0

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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