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County water report

Richmond city Water Report

Drinking-water compliance, watershed health, monitoring records, and river conditions for Richmond city, Virginia.

Water grade

N/A

Water score

N/A

State rank

N/A

Health violations

N/A

EPA SDWIS, 5-year lookback

Watershed impaired

52.8%

53 water bodies assessed

Monitoring sites

18

15,044 recent measurements

Live streamflow

No gauge

Primary USGS station not mapped

Water at a glance

Key Water Indicators for Richmond city

EPA SDWIS

Safety Grade

N/A

Insufficient data

EPA SDWIS

Active Violations

N/A

5-year health-based lookback

EPA ATTAINS

Watershed Health

53% impaired

53 bodies assessed

USGS NWIS

Streamflow Snapshot

No gauge

Primary USGS gauge not mapped

EPA WQP

Monitoring Sites

18

15,044 recent readings

Source: EPA SDWIS · Safe Drinking Water Information System

Drinking Water Compliance

Editorial analysis

Understanding Richmond city’s Water

Drinking Water Quality Overview

EPA SDWIS

Richmond city has limited drinking water data on file. Violation data are unavailable for this county.

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 substantial 52.8% of assessed waterways are impaired (28 of 53 water bodies) across Richmond city's watersheds. The leading impairment causes are escherichia coli (e. coli) 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. Richmond city has moderate coverage with 18 active monitoring sites with 15,044 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 Richmond city

Water Verdict

Richmond city, Virginia does not have sufficient EPA SDWIS water quality data to determine an overall assessment. Residents should contact their local water utility for the most recent Consumer Confidence Report. Separately, EPA ATTAINS assessments cover 53 water bodies in the county's watershed, with 52.8% listed as impaired under the Clean Water Act — a source-water measure that is tracked independently of tap-water compliance.

Violation Context

Health-based violation data is not available for Richmond city, Virginia. EPA health violations occur when water systems exceed allowable contaminant levels or fail to meet treatment requirements. Residents should request the latest Consumer Confidence Report from their water provider. This compliance record sits alongside an unusually deep monitoring archive: 15,044 water-quality results have been logged across the county in the EPA Water Quality Portal over the past five years.

Consumer Guidance

Drinking-water compliance data is not yet available for Richmond city in the EPA SDWIS system, which is common for rural areas and census areas served by private wells or small tribal systems. Residents should contact their local utility or state drinking-water agency for the most current Consumer Confidence Report. Using an NSF-certified filter (look for certifications against ANSI/NSF 53 or 58) can provide additional safety margin for any unconfirmed contaminants. E. coli is the leading impairment cause in Richmond city's watershed.

Regional Context

State-level water quality comparison data is not available for Richmond city. When data is available, this section will show how the county's water quality compares to other counties in Virginia.

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 Richmond city's water environment

Watershed Impairment Causes (EPA ATTAINS)

  • 1

    E. coli (bacteria)

    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

    Aquatic Plants (Macrophytes)

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

Source: EPA ATTAINS · Reporting cycle 2022

Official EPA Resources for Richmond city

EPA How's My Waterway

Interactive watershed health data for Richmond city

EPA ECHO: Drinking Water Systems

Search water utilities and violation records for Richmond city

Consumer Confidence Reports (VA)

Annual water quality reports from utilities in Virginia

Clean Water Act §303(d)

Watershed Health

Impaired Water Bodies

52.8%

28 of 53 assessed

Moderate concern

Top Impairment Causes

  • 1

    ESCHERICHIA COLI (E. COLI)

  • 2

    PCBS IN FISH TISSUE

  • 3

    AQUATIC PLANTS (MACROPHYTES)

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

18

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

15K

15,044 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Nutrient
  • 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).

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 Richmond city:F — Failing

High violation count or severe watershed conditions.

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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Richmond city has good water quality

Learn about water restrictions and conservation in your area.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the water quality in Richmond city, Virginia?
Richmond city, Virginia has a drinking-water quality grade of N/A with a score of N/A/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. Compliance data is currently unavailable. Watershed health, monitoring records, and streamflow snapshots are reported separately on this page.
Are there any water violations in Richmond city?
Violation data for Richmond city is not currently available. Health-based violations indicate instances where contaminant levels exceeded EPA Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs).
How healthy are the watersheds in Richmond city?
EPA ATTAINS assessments under Clean Water Act §303(d) indicate 52.8% of Richmond city's 53 assessed water bodies are classified as impaired (28 impaired). The top reported causes are ESCHERICHIA COLI (E. COLI), PCBS IN FISH TISSUE, AQUATIC PLANTS (MACROPHYTES). 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 Richmond city?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 15,044 measurements from 18 monitoring sites in Richmond city over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Nutrient, 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.
How does Richmond city water compare to the Virginia average?
Richmond city's SDWIS water quality score of N/A/100 is not available for comparison. 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 Richmond city?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Richmond city has a water quality grade of N/A (N/A/100). Insufficient data is available to fully assess compliance. 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 Richmond city have clean drinking water?
Richmond city has no reported health-based drinking water violations according to EPA records. With a water quality score of N/A/100 and grade N/A, 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 is water quality measured?
WaterByCounty layers four federal datasets per county. The A–F drinking-water grade comes from EPA SDWIS (Safe Drinking Water Act compliance, 5-year violation lookback). The Watershed Health zone surfaces EPA ATTAINS §303(d) impairment data. The Monitoring zone summarizes EPA Water Quality Portal records. The Streamflow zone reports the latest USGS NWIS reading from the county's primary streamgage. Each is reported separately so you can see where the water is actually weakest.

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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