waterbycounty
EPA SDWIS

Cache County Water Quality

Cache County, Utah

Water Grade

C

Water Score

55.2

Violations

13

State Rank

#12

of 29 (1 = best)

EPA SDWIS Compliance

Drinking Water Quality

Water Quality Grade

C

Based on EPA compliance history and violation data

Water Score

55.2/100

Higher = better quality

Health Violations

13

Health-based violations

Violation Rate

10.3%

Systems with violations

Water Advisory: Cache County

Water Verdict

Cache County receives a fair water quality assessment with a grade of C and a score of 55.2 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

Cache County has recorded 13 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 10.3 violations per 1,000 residents, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Cache 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 13 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

Cache County has better water quality than the average county in Utah. Its water score is 7.5 points higher than the state average, indicating stronger water system performance relative to neighboring counties.

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

134

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

23K

22,701 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Not Assigned
  • 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

711cfs

May 14, 6:15 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

59%

Well below typical

Primary Streamgage

BEAR RIVER NEAR SMITHFIELD, UT

USGS site
10102250
Drainage area
5,193 sq mi
Long-term mean
1,211 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 Cache County, Utah?
Cache County, Utah has a drinking-water quality grade of C with a score of 55.2/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 13 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 Cache County?
Cache County has 13 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 Cache County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 22,701 measurements from 134 monitoring sites in Cache County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Not Assigned, 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 Cache County right now?
Cache County's primary USGS streamgage on the BEAR RIVER is currently reading 711 cubic feet per second — 59% of the long-term mean of 1,210.66 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 Cache County water compare to the Utah average?
Cache County's SDWIS water quality score of 55.2/100 is higher than the Utah state average of 47.7. The average water quality grade across Utah is D, based on data from 29 counties with available SDWIS data.
Is tap water safe to drink in Cache County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Cache County has a water quality grade of C (55.2/100). 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 Cache County have so many water violations?
Cache County has 13 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 Cache County rank for water quality in Utah?
Cache County ranks #12 out of 29 counties in Utah by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 55.2/100, it falls in the middle 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

Box Elder County

Utah

C

55.4

Water score

Carbon County

Utah

C

55.4

Water score

Duchesne County

Utah

D

50.7

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

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