waterbycounty
EPA SDWIS

Pierce County Water Quality

Pierce County, Washington

Water Grade

C

Water Score

57.1

Violations

95

State Rank

#24

of 39 (1 = best)

EPA SDWIS Compliance

Drinking Water Quality

Water Quality Grade

C

Based on EPA compliance history and violation data

Water Score

57.1/100

Higher = better quality

Health Violations

95

Health-based violations

Violation Rate

8.8%

Systems with violations

Water Advisory: Pierce County

Water Verdict

Pierce County receives a fair water quality assessment with a grade of C and a score of 57.1 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

Pierce County has recorded 95 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 8.8 violations per 1,000 residents, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Pierce County meets baseline standards, but residents who are immunocompromised or have young children may want to use an NSF-certified water filter as a precaution. With 95 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

Pierce County has water quality close to the average county in Washington. Its water score is within 2.2 points of the state average, meaning its overall water system performance is broadly representative of Washington as a whole.

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

145

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

77K

76,507 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Microbiological
  • Nutrient

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

3,690cfs

May 14, 6:45 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

111%

Above typical

Primary Streamgage

PUYALLUP RIVER AT PUYALLUP, WA

USGS site
12101500
Drainage area
948 sq mi
Long-term mean
3,319 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 Pierce County, Washington?
Pierce County, Washington has a drinking-water quality grade of C with a score of 57.1/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 95 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 Pierce County?
Pierce County has 95 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 Pierce County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 76,507 measurements from 145 monitoring sites in Pierce County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Microbiological, Nutrient. 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 Pierce County right now?
Pierce County's primary USGS streamgage on the PUYALLUP RIVER is currently reading 3,690 cubic feet per second — 111% of the long-term mean of 3,319.03 cfs. Flow is within typical range for this gauge. For genuine real-time data, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Pierce County water compare to the Washington average?
Pierce County's SDWIS water quality score of 57.1/100 is lower 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 Pierce County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Pierce County has a water quality grade of C (57.1/100). This indicates moderate compliance. Some violations have been recorded but overall standards are maintained. 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 Pierce County have so many water violations?
Pierce County has 95 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 Pierce County rank for water quality in Washington?
Pierce County ranks #24 out of 39 counties in Washington by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 57.1/100, 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

Franklin County

Washington

C

58.1

Water score

Adams County

Washington

C

60.1

Water score

Skamania County

Washington

C

54.0

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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