waterbycounty
Federal water data

County water report

Nelson County Water Report

Drinking-water compliance, watershed health, monitoring records, and river conditions for Nelson County, Virginia.

Water grade

F

Water score

11.7

State rank

#88

of 95

Health violations

31

EPA SDWIS, 5-year lookback

Watershed impaired

29.2%

113 water bodies assessed

Monitoring sites

51

8,003 recent measurements

Live streamflow

34%

JAMES RIVER AT BENT CREEK, VA

Water at a glance

Key Water Indicators for Nelson County

EPA SDWIS

Safety Grade

F

Score: 11.7 / 100

EPA SDWIS

Active Violations

31

5-year health-based lookback

EPA ATTAINS

Watershed Health

29% impaired

113 bodies assessed

USGS NWIS

Streamflow Snapshot

34% of mean

JAMES RIVER AT BENT CREEK, VA

EPA WQP

Monitoring Sites

51

8,003 recent readings

Source: EPA SDWIS · Safe Drinking Water Information System

Drinking Water Compliance

Compliance grade

F

Based on EPA SDWIS compliance history.

Water score

Higher scores indicate cleaner recent compliance records.

11.7/100

Health violations

31

Health-based violations

Violations per 100K served

276.2

Population-normalized SDWIS rate

Editorial analysis

Understanding Nelson County’s Water

Drinking Water Quality Overview

EPA SDWIS

Nelson County's water systems carry a failing grade, scoring 11.7 out of 100. Over the past five years, EPA SDWIS records 31 health-based violations — a pattern that public water utilities are required to disclose and correct.

Watershed Conditions

EPA ATTAINS

Under the Clean Water Act §303(d), EPA ATTAINS tracks whether waterways meet quality standards for drinking, recreation, and aquatic life (reporting cycle: 2022). A notable 29.2% of assessed waterways carry an impairment designation (33 of 113 water bodies) across Nelson County's watersheds. The leading impairment causes are escherichia coli (e. coli) and benthic macroinvertebrates bioassessments. Impairment does not mean tap water is unsafe — it measures ambient waterway conditions upstream of treatment, not finished drinking water.

River & Streamflow Status

USGS NWIS

USGS NWIS gauge data (as of 2026-05-14T14:45:00.000-04:00) puts JAMES RIVER at 1.4k cfs — well below its long-term average at 34% 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.

Monitoring Network

EPA WQP

EPA's Water Quality Portal (WQP) aggregates monitoring data from federal, state, and tribal agencies. Nelson County has extensive coverage with 51 active monitoring sites with 8,003 recent measurements on record. Predominant monitoring categories include physical and nutrient. 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 Nelson County

Water Verdict

Nelson County receives a poor water quality assessment with a grade of F and a score of 11.7 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

Nelson County has recorded 31 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 276.2 violations per 100,000 people served, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Nelson County has a Grade F compliance record with 31 health-based violations — among the highest levels in the country. Nelson County's drinking-water compliance score is 11.7 out of 100. Residents are strongly advised to use a certified NSF 58 reverse-osmosis filter or bottled water for all drinking and cooking until violations are corrected. Contacting the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality or Health can expedite utility compliance action. E. coli is the leading impairment cause in Nelson County's watershed. With 51 active water-quality monitoring sites in Nelson County, data coverage is strong. A pipeline streamflow snapshot from the JAMES RIVER gauge is also available on this page.

Regional Context

Nelson County has poorer water quality than the average county in Virginia. Its water score is 46 points lower than the state average, suggesting more challenges with contamination control or infrastructure than 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 Nelson County's water environment

Watershed Impairment Causes (EPA ATTAINS)

  • 1

    E. coli (bacteria)

    Impairment cause per EPA Clean Water Act §303(d) assessment

  • 2

    Benthic Macroinvertebrates Bioassessments

    Impairment cause per EPA Clean Water Act §303(d) assessment

  • 3

    Pcbs in Fish Tissue

    Impairment cause per EPA Clean Water Act §303(d) assessment

Source: EPA ATTAINS · Reporting cycle 2022

Official EPA Resources for Nelson County

EPA How's My Waterway

Interactive watershed health data for Nelson County

EPA ECHO: Drinking Water Systems

Search water utilities and violation records for Nelson County

Consumer Confidence Reports (VA)

Annual water quality reports from utilities in Virginia

Clean Water Act §303(d)

Watershed Health

Impaired Water Bodies

29.2%

33 of 113 assessed

Some impairment

Top Impairment Causes

  • 1

    ESCHERICHIA COLI (E. COLI)

  • 2

    BENTHIC MACROINVERTEBRATES BIOASSESSMENTS

  • 3

    PCBS IN FISH TISSUE

Source: EPA ATTAINS · Reporting cycle 2022

Impairment is determined under the Clean Water Act §303(d): a water body is impaired when it fails to meet state-defined quality standards for designated uses (drinking, recreation, aquatic life). Assessment coverage varies by state; counties without assessed water bodies are not shown.

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

51

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

8.0K

8,003 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Nutrient
  • Microbiological

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

1,420cfs

May 14, 6:45 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

34%

Well below typical

Primary Streamgage

JAMES RIVER AT BENT CREEK, VA

USGS site
02026000
Drainage area
3,649 sq mi
Long-term mean
4,197 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.

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 Nelson County:C — Moderate

Some violations or watershed impairment detected.

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.

Try the full calculator →

Improve your water quality at home

Berkey filters remove 99.9%+ of contaminants from tap water.

Shop Berkey →

Sponsored

Test your tap water

Tap Score provides professional mail-in water testing.

Get Tested →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the water quality in Nelson County, Virginia?
Nelson County, Virginia has a drinking-water quality grade of F with a score of 11.7/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 31 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 Nelson County?
Nelson County has 31 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 healthy are the watersheds in Nelson County?
EPA ATTAINS assessments under Clean Water Act §303(d) indicate 29.2% of Nelson County's 113 assessed water bodies are classified as impaired (33 impaired). The top reported causes are ESCHERICHIA COLI (E. COLI), BENTHIC MACROINVERTEBRATES BIOASSESSMENTS, PCBS IN FISH TISSUE. Impairment means the water body fails to meet state quality standards for at least one designated use — drinking water source, recreation, aquatic life, or fish consumption. Note: watershed impairment doesn't always translate to tap-water issues; treatment plants can remove most regulated contaminants.
How much water-quality monitoring happens in Nelson County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 8,003 measurements from 51 monitoring sites in Nelson County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Nutrient, Microbiological. 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 Nelson County right now?
Nelson County's primary USGS streamgage on the JAMES RIVER has a pipeline snapshot of 1,420 cubic feet per second — 34% of the long-term mean of 4,196.67 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 Nelson County water compare to the Virginia average?
Nelson County's SDWIS water quality score of 11.7/100 is lower than the Virginia state average of 57.7. The average water quality grade across Virginia is D, based on data from 95 counties with available SDWIS data.
Is tap water safe to drink in Nelson County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Nelson County has a water quality grade of F (11.7/100). 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 Nelson County have so many water violations?
Nelson County has 31 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 Nelson County rank for water quality in Virginia?
Nelson County ranks #88 out of 95 counties in Virginia by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 11.7/100, 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

Dickenson County

Virginia

F

12.3

Water score

Shenandoah County

Virginia

F

12.7

Water score

Charles City County

Virginia

F

12.8

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.

Watershed health and impaired-waterway data from the EPA ATTAINS Clean Water Act §303(d) assessments, state-reported and EPA-finalized.

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

Explore more data for Nelson County

Property TaxCost of LivingCrime RateIncomeHealthSchoolsDisaster RiskWeatherCounty Score