waterbycounty
Federal water data

County water report

Skamania County Water Report

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

Water grade

C

Water score

54.0

State rank

#25

of 39

Health violations

1

EPA SDWIS, 5-year lookback

Watershed impaired

Not reported

EPA ATTAINS coverage varies by state

Monitoring sites

24

375 recent measurements

Live streamflow

99%

WHITE SALMON RIVER NEAR UNDERWOOD, WA

Water at a glance

Key Water Indicators for Skamania County

EPA SDWIS

Safety Grade

C

Score: 54.0 / 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

99% of mean

WHITE SALMON RIVER NEAR UNDERWOOD, WA

EPA WQP

Monitoring Sites

24

375 recent readings

Source: EPA SDWIS · Safe Drinking Water Information System

Drinking Water Compliance

Compliance grade

C

Based on EPA SDWIS compliance history.

Water score

Higher scores indicate cleaner recent compliance records.

54.0/100

Health violations

1

Health-based violations

Violations per 100K served

11.2

Population-normalized SDWIS rate

Editorial analysis

Understanding Skamania County’s Water

Drinking Water Quality Overview

EPA SDWIS

Skamania County's drinking water earned a C grade, scoring 54.0 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 2026-05-14T11:00:00.000-07:00) puts WHITE SALMON RIVER at 1.1k cfs — near its historical average at 99% of mean flow. 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. Skamania County has moderate coverage with 24 active monitoring sites with 375 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 Skamania County

Water Verdict

Skamania County receives a below-average water quality assessment with a grade of C and a score of 54.0 out of 100. Residents should review their utility's Consumer Confidence Report and may want to consider additional water filtration for drinking.

Violation Context

Skamania County has recorded 1 health-based violation, meaning the water system experienced at least one exceedance of federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements. At 11.2 violations per 100,000 people served, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Skamania County meets baseline standards but the compliance record shows room for improvement, with a Grade C rating. Skamania County's drinking-water compliance score is 54.0 out of 100. The violation rate for Skamania County is 11.2 per 100,000 people served. Residents who are immunocompromised, pregnant, or have young children may benefit from using an NSF 53-certified filter. Contacting your local utility for the current Consumer Confidence Report will confirm which specific violations were recorded and whether they have been resolved. With 24 active water-quality monitoring sites in Skamania County, data coverage is strong. A pipeline streamflow snapshot from the WHITE SALMON RIVER gauge is also available on this page.

Regional Context

Skamania County has poorer water quality than the average county in Washington. Its water score is 5.3 points lower than the state average, suggesting more challenges with contamination control or infrastructure than 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 Skamania County's water environment

Official EPA Resources for Skamania County

EPA How's My Waterway

Interactive watershed health data for Skamania County

EPA ECHO: Drinking Water Systems

Search water utilities and violation records for Skamania County

Consumer Confidence Reports (WA)

Annual water quality reports from utilities in Washington

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

24

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

375

375 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Nutrient
  • 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

1,100cfs

May 14, 6:00 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

99%

Near typical

Primary Streamgage

WHITE SALMON RIVER NEAR UNDERWOOD, WA

USGS site
14123500
Drainage area
386 sq mi
Long-term mean
1,116 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 Skamania County:D — Poor

Elevated violations or significant watershed impairment.

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 Skamania County, Washington?
Skamania County, Washington has a drinking-water quality grade of C with a score of 54.0/100, 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 Skamania County?
Skamania 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 Skamania County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 375 measurements from 24 monitoring sites in Skamania County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Nutrient, 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 Skamania County right now?
Skamania County's primary USGS streamgage on the WHITE SALMON RIVER has a pipeline snapshot of 1,100 cubic feet per second — 99% of the long-term mean of 1,115.78 cfs. Flow is within typical range for this gauge. For the latest gauge feed, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Skamania County water compare to the Washington average?
Skamania County's SDWIS water quality score of 54.0/100 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 Skamania County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Skamania County has a water quality grade of C (54.0/100). 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).
Does Skamania County have clean drinking water?
Skamania County has 1 health-based drinking water violation according to EPA records. With a water quality score of 54.0/100 and grade C, 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 Skamania County rank for water quality in Washington?
Skamania County ranks #25 out of 39 counties in Washington by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 54.0/100, 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

Grays Harbor County

Washington

C

53.6

Water score

Klickitat County

Washington

C

53.5

Water score

Walla Walla County

Washington

C

53.3

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

Explore more data for Skamania County

Property TaxCost of LivingCrime RateIncomeHealthSchoolsDisaster RiskWeatherCounty Score