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Federal water data

County water report

Northumberland County Water Report

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

Water grade

D

Water score

49.3

State rank

#59

of 95

Health violations

1

EPA SDWIS, 5-year lookback

Watershed impaired

81.3%

262 water bodies assessed

Monitoring sites

22

22,344 recent measurements

Live streamflow

No gauge

Primary USGS station not mapped

Water at a glance

Key Water Indicators for Northumberland County

EPA SDWIS

Safety Grade

D

Score: 49.3 / 100

EPA SDWIS

Active Violations

1

5-year health-based lookback

EPA ATTAINS

Watershed Health

81% impaired

262 bodies assessed

USGS NWIS

Streamflow Snapshot

No gauge

Primary USGS gauge not mapped

EPA WQP

Monitoring Sites

22

22,344 recent readings

Source: EPA SDWIS · Safe Drinking Water Information System

Drinking Water Compliance

Compliance grade

D

Based on EPA SDWIS compliance history.

Water score

Higher scores indicate cleaner recent compliance records.

49.3/100

Health violations

1

Health-based violations

Violations per 100K served

17.5

Population-normalized SDWIS rate

Editorial analysis

Understanding Northumberland County’s Water

Drinking Water Quality Overview

EPA SDWIS

Northumberland County's drinking water received a D grade, scoring 49.3 out of 100. Over the past five years, EPA SDWIS records 1 health-based violation — a single incident worth monitoring.

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 large majority — 81.3% — of assessed waterways are impaired (213 of 262 water bodies) across Northumberland County's watersheds. The leading impairment causes are aquatic plants (macrophytes) and pcbs in fish tissue. Impairment does not mean tap water is unsafe — it measures ambient waterway conditions upstream of treatment, not finished drinking water.

Monitoring Network

EPA WQP

EPA's Water Quality Portal (WQP) aggregates monitoring data from federal, state, and tribal agencies. Northumberland County has moderate coverage with 22 active monitoring sites with 22,344 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 Northumberland County

Water Verdict

Northumberland County receives a below-average water quality assessment with a grade of D and a score of 49.3 out of 100. Residents should review their utility's Consumer Confidence Report and may want to consider additional water filtration for drinking.

Violation Context

Northumberland County has recorded 1 health-based violation, meaning the water system experienced at least one exceedance of federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements. At 17.5 violations per 100,000 people served, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Northumberland County's drinking-water compliance is below average with a Grade D, indicating repeated or unresolved violations in the recent record. Northumberland County's drinking-water compliance score is 49.3 out of 100. The violation rate for Northumberland County is 17.5 per 100,000 people served. Residents are encouraged to use an NSF 53 or NSF 58-certified filter for drinking and cooking water until the underlying violations are resolved. Running tap water for 30 seconds before use and avoiding older lead-pipe connections can also reduce exposure risk. The current Consumer Confidence Report from your utility will specify the contaminants of concern. Aquatic Plants (Macrophytes) is the leading impairment cause in Northumberland County's watershed. With 22 active water-quality monitoring sites in Northumberland County, data coverage is strong.

Regional Context

Northumberland County has poorer water quality than the average county in Virginia. Its water score is 8.4 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 Northumberland County's water environment

Watershed Impairment Causes (EPA ATTAINS)

  • 1

    Aquatic Plants (Macrophytes)

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

  • 2

    Pcbs in Fish Tissue

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

  • 3

    Low dissolved oxygen

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

Source: EPA ATTAINS · Reporting cycle 2022

Official EPA Resources for Northumberland County

EPA How's My Waterway

Interactive watershed health data for Northumberland County

EPA ECHO: Drinking Water Systems

Search water utilities and violation records for Northumberland County

Consumer Confidence Reports (VA)

Annual water quality reports from utilities in Virginia

Clean Water Act §303(d)

Watershed Health

Impaired Water Bodies

81.3%

213 of 262 assessed

High concern

Top Impairment Causes

  • 1

    AQUATIC PLANTS (MACROPHYTES)

  • 2

    PCBS IN FISH TISSUE

  • 3

    DISSOLVED OXYGEN

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

22

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

22K

22,344 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Nutrient
  • Biological, Algae, Phytoplankton

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).

Free tool

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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 Northumberland 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 Northumberland County, Virginia?
Northumberland County, Virginia has a drinking-water quality grade of D with a score of 49.3/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 1 health-based drinking water violation over the past 5 years. Watershed health, monitoring records, and streamflow snapshots are reported separately on this page.
Are there any water violations in Northumberland County?
Northumberland County has 1 health-based drinking water violation 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 Northumberland County?
EPA ATTAINS assessments under Clean Water Act §303(d) indicate 81.3% of Northumberland County's 262 assessed water bodies are classified as impaired (213 impaired). The top reported causes are AQUATIC PLANTS (MACROPHYTES), PCBS IN FISH TISSUE, DISSOLVED OXYGEN. 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 Northumberland County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 22,344 measurements from 22 monitoring sites in Northumberland County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Nutrient, Biological, Algae, Phytoplankton. 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.
How does Northumberland County water compare to the Virginia average?
Northumberland County's SDWIS water quality score of 49.3/100 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 Northumberland County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Northumberland County has a water quality grade of D (49.3/100). 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).
Does Northumberland County have clean drinking water?
Northumberland County has 1 health-based drinking water violation according to EPA records. With a water quality score of 49.3/100 and grade D, the county's drinking water has had some compliance issues but continues to be monitored. Note: drinking-water compliance speaks to the public water system, not necessarily to the watershed itself — check the Watershed Health zone for ATTAINS §303(d) data.
How does Northumberland County rank for water quality in Virginia?
Northumberland County ranks #59 out of 95 counties in Virginia by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 49.3/100, 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

Northampton County

Virginia

D

49.7

Water score

Warren County

Virginia

D

46.2

Water score

Alleghany County

Virginia

D

45.6

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.

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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