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Federal water data

County water report

Kittitas County Water Report

Drinking-water compliance, watershed health, monitoring records, and river conditions for Kittitas County, Washington.

Water grade

B

Water score

66.4

State rank

#16

of 39

Health violations

1

EPA SDWIS, 5-year lookback

Watershed impaired

Not reported

EPA ATTAINS coverage varies by state

Monitoring sites

8

1,741 recent measurements

Live streamflow

129%

YAKIMA RIVER AT UMTANUM, WA

Water at a glance

Key Water Indicators for Kittitas County

EPA SDWIS

Safety Grade

B

Score: 66.4 / 100

EPA SDWIS

Active Violations

1

5-year health-based lookback

EPA ATTAINS

Watershed Health

Not reported

Coverage varies by state

USGS NWIS

Streamflow Snapshot

129% of mean

YAKIMA RIVER AT UMTANUM, WA

EPA WQP

Monitoring Sites

8

1,741 recent readings

Source: EPA SDWIS · Safe Drinking Water Information System

Drinking Water Compliance

Compliance grade

B

Based on EPA SDWIS compliance history.

Water score

Higher scores indicate cleaner recent compliance records.

66.4/100

Health violations

1

Health-based violations

Violations per 100K served

2.8

Population-normalized SDWIS rate

Editorial analysis

Understanding Kittitas County’s Water

Drinking Water Quality Overview

EPA SDWIS

Kittitas County earns a B grade for drinking water quality, scoring 66.4 out of 100. Over the past five years, EPA SDWIS records 1 health-based violation — a single incident worth monitoring.

River & Streamflow Status

USGS NWIS

USGS NWIS gauge data (as of 2026-05-14T11:15:00.000-07:00) puts YAKIMA RIVER at 3.1k cfs — flowing above its historical average at 129% of mean. 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. Kittitas County has limited coverage with 8 active monitoring sites with 1,741 recent measurements on record. Predominant monitoring categories include physical and inorganics, major, non-metals. 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 Kittitas County

Water Verdict

Kittitas County receives a fair water quality assessment with a grade of B and a score of 66.4 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

Kittitas County has recorded 1 health-based violation, meaning the water system experienced at least one exceedance of federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements. At 2.8 violations per 100,000 people served, this rate is relatively low compared to many U.S. counties.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Kittitas County scores well above average for drinking-water safety. Kittitas County's drinking-water compliance score is 66.4 out of 100. With 1 recorded health violation, the water supply is generally reliable. The violation rate for Kittitas County is 2.8 per 100,000 people served. Households with infants, pregnant individuals, or immunocompromised members may want to use an NSF 53-certified pitcher filter as a low-cost precaution. There are 8 active water-quality monitoring sites in Kittitas County. A pipeline streamflow snapshot from the YAKIMA RIVER gauge is also available on this page.

Regional Context

Kittitas County has better water quality than the average county in Washington. Its water score is 7.1 points higher than the state average, indicating stronger water system performance relative to 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 Kittitas County's water environment

Official EPA Resources for Kittitas County

EPA How's My Waterway

Interactive watershed health data for Kittitas County

EPA ECHO: Drinking Water Systems

Search water utilities and violation records for Kittitas County

Consumer Confidence Reports (WA)

Annual water quality reports from utilities in Washington

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

8

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

1.7K

1,741 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Inorganics, Major, Non-metals
  • 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

3,120cfs

May 14, 6:15 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

129%

Above typical

Primary Streamgage

YAKIMA RIVER AT UMTANUM, WA

USGS site
12484500
Drainage area
1,594 sq mi
Long-term mean
2,424 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 Kittitas 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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the water quality in Kittitas County, Washington?
Kittitas County, Washington has a drinking-water quality grade of B with a score of 66.4/100, 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 Kittitas County?
Kittitas 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 much water-quality monitoring happens in Kittitas County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 1,741 measurements from 8 monitoring sites in Kittitas County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Inorganics, Major, Non-metals, 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 Kittitas County right now?
Kittitas County's primary USGS streamgage on the YAKIMA RIVER has a pipeline snapshot of 3,120 cubic feet per second — 129% of the long-term mean of 2,423.62 cfs. Flow is within typical range for this gauge. For the latest gauge feed, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Kittitas County water compare to the Washington average?
Kittitas County's SDWIS water quality score of 66.4/100 is higher than the Washington state average of 59.3. The average water quality grade across Washington is D, based on data from 39 counties with available SDWIS data.
Is tap water safe to drink in Kittitas County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Kittitas County has a water quality grade of B (66.4/100). This indicates good to excellent water quality with strong SDWIS 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 Kittitas County have clean drinking water?
Kittitas County has 1 health-based drinking water violation according to EPA records. With a water quality score of 66.4/100 and grade B, 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 Kittitas County rank for water quality in Washington?
Kittitas County ranks #16 out of 39 counties in Washington by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 66.4/100, 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

Cowlitz County

Washington

B

66.4

Water score

Kitsap County

Washington

B

67.5

Water score

Skagit County

Washington

B

65.3

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 Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

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