waterbycounty
Federal water data

County water report

Skagit County Water Report

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

Water grade

B

Water score

65.3

State rank

#17

of 39

Health violations

5

EPA SDWIS, 5-year lookback

Watershed impaired

Not reported

EPA ATTAINS coverage varies by state

Monitoring sites

669

103,952 recent measurements

Live streamflow

117%

SKAGIT RIVER NEAR MOUNT VERNON, WA

Water at a glance

Key Water Indicators for Skagit County

EPA SDWIS

Safety Grade

B

Score: 65.3 / 100

EPA SDWIS

Active Violations

5

5-year health-based lookback

EPA ATTAINS

Watershed Health

Not reported

Coverage varies by state

USGS NWIS

Streamflow Snapshot

117% of mean

SKAGIT RIVER NEAR MOUNT VERNON, WA

EPA WQP

Monitoring Sites

669

103,952 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.

65.3/100

Health violations

5

Health-based violations

Violations per 100K served

3.3

Population-normalized SDWIS rate

Editorial analysis

Understanding Skagit County’s Water

Drinking Water Quality Overview

EPA SDWIS

Skagit County earns a B grade for drinking water quality, scoring 65.3 out of 100. Over the past five years, EPA SDWIS records 5 health-based violations — a pattern that public water utilities are required to disclose and correct.

River & Streamflow Status

USGS NWIS

USGS NWIS gauge data (as of 2026-05-14T12:00:00.000-07:00) puts SKAGIT RIVER at 19.3k cfs — flowing above its historical average at 117% 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. Skagit County has extensive coverage with 669 active monitoring sites with 103,952 recent measurements on record. Predominant monitoring categories include physical and organics, pesticide. 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 Skagit County

Water Verdict

Skagit County, Washington receives a fair water quality assessment with a grade of B and a score of 65.3 out of 100. The water supply meets baseline federal standards, but there may be periods of elevated contaminant levels or infrastructure concerns worth monitoring. The county's primary USGS gauge drains roughly 3,093 square miles of upstream watershed, giving local source waters a regional footprint. At the most recent USGS reading, local streamflow was running above its historical mean at 116.5%.

Violation Context

EPA SDWIS records for Skagit County, Washington show 5 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 3.3 violations per 100,000 people served, this rate is moderate and suggests recurring water quality challenges. This compliance record sits alongside an unusually deep monitoring archive: 103,952 water-quality results have been logged across the county in the EPA Water Quality Portal over the past five years.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Skagit County meets baseline safety standards, though the compliance record shows some violations worth watching. Skagit County's drinking-water compliance score is 65.3 out of 100. The violation rate for Skagit County is 3.3 per 100,000 people served. Running tap water for 30 seconds before drinking can reduce any localized lead exposure from household plumbing. Requesting your utility's most recent Consumer Confidence Report is the fastest way to identify which specific contaminants were flagged. With 669 active water-quality monitoring sites in Skagit County, data coverage is strong. A pipeline streamflow snapshot from the SKAGIT RIVER gauge is also available on this page.

Regional Context

Skagit County has better water quality than the average county in Washington. Its water score is 6 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 Skagit County's water environment

Official EPA Resources for Skagit County

EPA How's My Waterway

Interactive watershed health data for Skagit County

EPA ECHO: Drinking Water Systems

Search water utilities and violation records for Skagit County

Consumer Confidence Reports (WA)

Annual water quality reports from utilities in Washington

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

669

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

104K

103,952 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Organics, Pesticide
  • 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

19.3Kcfs

May 14, 7:00 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

117%

Above typical

Primary Streamgage

SKAGIT RIVER NEAR MOUNT VERNON, WA

USGS site
12200500
Drainage area
3,093 sq mi
Long-term mean
16.6K 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 Skagit 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 Skagit County, Washington?
Skagit County, Washington has a drinking-water quality grade of B with a score of 65.3/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 5 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 Skagit County?
Skagit County has 5 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 Skagit County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 103,952 measurements from 669 monitoring sites in Skagit County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Organics, Pesticide, 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 Skagit County right now?
Skagit County's primary USGS streamgage on the SKAGIT RIVER has a pipeline snapshot of 19,300 cubic feet per second — 117% of the long-term mean of 16,561.18 cfs. Flow is within typical range for this gauge. For the latest gauge feed, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Skagit County water compare to the Washington average?
Skagit County's SDWIS water quality score of 65.3/100 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 Skagit County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Skagit County has a water quality grade of B (65.3/100). 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 Skagit County have clean drinking water?
Skagit County has 5 health-based drinking water violations according to EPA records. With a water quality score of 65.3/100 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 Skagit County rank for water quality in Washington?
Skagit County ranks #17 out of 39 counties in Washington by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 65.3/100, 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

Cowlitz County

Washington

B

66.4

Water score

Kittitas County

Washington

B

66.4

Water score

Spokane County

Washington

B

63.8

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.

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 Skagit County

Property TaxCost of LivingCrime RateIncomeHealthSchoolsDisaster RiskWeatherCounty Score