waterbycounty
EPA SDWIS

Grand County Water Quality

Grand County, Utah

Water Grade

F

Water Score

26.8

Violations

11

State Rank

#22

of 29 (1 = best)

EPA SDWIS Compliance

Drinking Water Quality

Water Quality Grade

F

Based on EPA compliance history and violation data

Water Score

26.8/100

Higher = better quality

Health Violations

11

Health-based violations

Violation Rate

80.9%

Systems with violations

Water Advisory: Grand County

Water Verdict

Grand County receives a poor water quality assessment with a grade of F and a score of 26.8 out of 100. The water supply has documented quality issues. Residents are strongly encouraged to use filtered or bottled water for drinking and to stay informed about utility improvement plans.

Violation Context

Grand County has recorded 11 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 80.9 violations per 1,000 residents, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Residents of Grand 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 11 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

Grand County has poorer water quality than the average county in Utah. Its water score is 20.9 points lower than the state average, suggesting more challenges with contamination control or infrastructure than neighboring counties.

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

113

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

35K

34,785 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Organics, Pesticide
  • Inorganics, Minor, 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

10.0Kcfs

May 14, 5:15 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

210%

Well above typical

Primary Streamgage

GREEN RIVER AT MINERAL BOTTOM NR CYNLNDS NTL PARK

USGS site
09328920
Drainage area
48,560 sq mi
Long-term mean
4,772 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 Grand County, Utah?
Grand County, Utah has a drinking-water quality grade of F with a score of 26.8/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 11 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 Grand County?
Grand County has 11 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 Grand County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 34,785 measurements from 113 monitoring sites in Grand County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Organics, Pesticide, Inorganics, Minor, 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 Grand County right now?
Grand County's primary USGS streamgage on the GREEN RIVER is currently reading 10,000 cubic feet per second — 210% of the long-term mean of 4,772 cfs. This is well above typical — often a signal of recent precipitation or storm runoff. For genuine real-time data, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Grand County water compare to the Utah average?
Grand County's SDWIS water quality score of 26.8/100 is lower 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 Grand County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Grand County has a water quality grade of F (26.8/100). 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).
Why does Grand County have so many water violations?
Grand County has 11 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 Grand County rank for water quality in Utah?
Grand County ranks #22 out of 29 counties in Utah by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 26.8/100, it falls in the bottom 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

Wayne County

Utah

F

25.9

Water score

Iron County

Utah

F

30.2

Water score

San Juan County

Utah

F

22.8

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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