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County water report

Braxton County Water Report

Drinking-water compliance, watershed health, monitoring records, and river conditions for Braxton County, West Virginia.

Water grade

C

Water score

55.0

State rank

#13

of 54

Health violations

1

EPA SDWIS, 5-year lookback

Watershed impaired

0.0%

38 water bodies assessed

Monitoring sites

32

7,542 recent measurements

Live streamflow

No gauge

ELK RIVER AT SUTTON, WV

Water at a glance

Key Water Indicators for Braxton County

EPA SDWIS

Safety Grade

C

Score: 55.0 / 100

EPA SDWIS

Active Violations

1

5-year health-based lookback

EPA ATTAINS

Watershed Health

0% impaired

38 bodies assessed

USGS NWIS

Streamflow Snapshot

No gauge

ELK RIVER AT SUTTON, WV

EPA WQP

Monitoring Sites

32

7,542 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.

55.0/100

Health violations

1

Health-based violations

Violations per 100K served

10.5

Population-normalized SDWIS rate

Editorial analysis

Understanding Braxton County’s Water

Drinking Water Quality Overview

EPA SDWIS

Braxton County's drinking water earned a C grade, scoring 55.0 out of 100. Over the past five years, EPA SDWIS records 1 health-based violation — a single incident worth monitoring.

Watershed Conditions

EPA ATTAINS

Under the Clean Water Act §303(d), EPA ATTAINS tracks whether waterways meet quality standards for drinking, recreation, and aquatic life (reporting cycle: 2022). None of the assessed waterways are listed as impaired (0 of 38 water bodies) across Braxton County's watersheds. Impairment does not mean tap water is unsafe — it measures ambient waterway conditions upstream of treatment, not finished drinking water.

Monitoring Network

EPA WQP

EPA's Water Quality Portal (WQP) aggregates monitoring data from federal, state, and tribal agencies. Braxton County has moderate coverage with 32 active monitoring sites with 7,542 recent measurements on record. Predominant monitoring categories include inorganics, minor, metals and physical. 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 Braxton County

Water Verdict

Braxton County, West Virginia receives a fair water quality assessment with a grade of C and a score of 55.0 out of 100. The water supply meets baseline federal standards, but there may be periods of elevated contaminant levels or infrastructure concerns worth monitoring. Separately, EPA ATTAINS assessments track 38 water bodies in the county's watershed, none of which are currently listed as impaired under the Clean Water Act.

Violation Context

EPA SDWIS records for Braxton County, West Virginia show 1 health-based violation, meaning a water system experienced at least one exceedance of federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements. At 10.5 violations per 100,000 people served, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues. For independent context, 7,542 water-quality monitoring results have been recorded across the county in the EPA Water Quality Portal over the past five years.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Braxton County meets baseline standards but the compliance record shows room for improvement, with a Grade C rating. Braxton County's drinking-water compliance score is 55.0 out of 100. The violation rate for Braxton County is 10.5 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 32 active water-quality monitoring sites in Braxton County, data coverage is strong. A pipeline streamflow snapshot from the ELK RIVER gauge is also available on this page.

Regional Context

Braxton County has better water quality than the average county in West Virginia. Its water score is 19.8 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 Braxton County's water environment

Official EPA Resources for Braxton County

EPA How's My Waterway

Interactive watershed health data for Braxton County

EPA ECHO: Drinking Water Systems

Search water utilities and violation records for Braxton County

Consumer Confidence Reports (WV)

Annual water quality reports from utilities in West Virginia

Clean Water Act §303(d)

Watershed Health

Impaired Water Bodies

0.0%

0 of 38 assessed

Mostly healthy

Top Impairment Causes

No specific impairment causes reported for the assessed water bodies in this county.

Source: EPA ATTAINS · Reporting cycle 2022

Impairment is determined under the Clean Water Act §303(d): a water body is impaired when it fails to meet state-defined quality standards for designated uses (drinking, recreation, aquatic life). Assessment coverage varies by state; counties without assessed water bodies are not shown.

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

32

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

7.5K

7,542 total readings

Most Measured

  • Inorganics, Minor, Metals
  • Physical
  • 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).

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 Braxton 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 Braxton County, West Virginia?
Braxton County, West Virginia has a drinking-water quality grade of C with a score of 55.0/100, 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 Braxton County?
Braxton 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 healthy are the watersheds in Braxton County?
EPA ATTAINS assessments under Clean Water Act §303(d) indicate 0.0% of Braxton County's 38 assessed water bodies are classified as impaired (0 impaired). Impairment means the water body fails to meet state quality standards for at least one designated use — drinking water source, recreation, aquatic life, or fish consumption. Note: watershed impairment doesn't always translate to tap-water issues; treatment plants can remove most regulated contaminants.
How much water-quality monitoring happens in Braxton County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 7,542 measurements from 32 monitoring sites in Braxton County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Inorganics, Minor, Metals, Physical, 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.
How does Braxton County water compare to the West Virginia average?
Braxton County's SDWIS water quality score of 55.0/100 is higher than the West Virginia state average of 35.2. The average water quality grade across West Virginia is F, based on data from 54 counties with available SDWIS data.
Is tap water safe to drink in Braxton County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Braxton County has a water quality grade of C (55.0/100). 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 Braxton County have clean drinking water?
Braxton County has 1 health-based drinking water violation according to EPA records. With a water quality score of 55.0/100 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 Braxton County rank for water quality in West Virginia?
Braxton County ranks #13 out of 54 counties in West Virginia by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 55.0/100, it falls in the top 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

Mason County

West Virginia

C

53.1

Water score

Monongalia County

West Virginia

C

57.5

Water score

Wood County

West Virginia

C

52.4

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.

Watershed health and impaired-waterway data from the EPA ATTAINS Clean Water Act §303(d) assessments, state-reported and EPA-finalized.

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.

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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