waterbycounty
EPA SDWIS

Skagit County Water Quality

Skagit County, Washington

Water Grade

B

Water Score

65.3

Violations

5

State Rank

#17

of 39 (1 = best)

EPA SDWIS Compliance

Drinking Water Quality

Water Quality Grade

B

Based on EPA compliance history and violation data

Water Score

65.3/100

Higher = better quality

Health Violations

5

Health-based violations

Violation Rate

3.3%

Systems with violations

Water Advisory: Skagit County

Water Verdict

Skagit County 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.

Violation Context

Skagit County has recorded 5 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 3.3 violations per 1,000 residents, this rate is moderate and suggests recurring water quality challenges.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Skagit County is generally safe to drink based on available data. Residents should still review their utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report for transparency on detected contaminants. With 5 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

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.

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; "% of typical" compares the latest reading against that average.

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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 live streamflow 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 is currently reading 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 genuine real-time data, 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 Logan Johnson, Founder & Data EditorUpdated Reviewed by Logan Johnson, Founder & Data Editor

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