waterbycounty
Federal water data

County water report

Mason County Water Report

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

Water grade

C

Water score

53.1

State rank

#14

of 54

Health violations

3

EPA SDWIS, 5-year lookback

Watershed impaired

0.0%

11 water bodies assessed

Monitoring sites

7

2,190 recent measurements

Live streamflow

No gauge

OHIO RIVER AT POINT PLEASANT, WV

Water at a glance

Key Water Indicators for Mason County

EPA SDWIS

Safety Grade

C

Score: 53.1 / 100

EPA SDWIS

Active Violations

3

5-year health-based lookback

EPA ATTAINS

Watershed Health

0% impaired

11 bodies assessed

USGS NWIS

Streamflow Snapshot

No gauge

OHIO RIVER AT POINT PLEASANT, WV

EPA WQP

Monitoring Sites

7

2,190 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.

53.1/100

Health violations

3

Health-based violations

Violations per 100K served

12.3

Population-normalized SDWIS rate

Editorial analysis

Understanding Mason County’s Water

Drinking Water Quality Overview

EPA SDWIS

Mason County's drinking water earned a C grade, scoring 53.1 out of 100. Over the past five years, EPA SDWIS records 3 health-based violations — a small cluster that warrants attention.

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 11 water bodies) across Mason 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. Mason County has limited coverage with 7 active monitoring sites with 2,190 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 Mason County

Water Verdict

Mason County receives a below-average water quality assessment with a grade of C and a score of 53.1 out of 100. Residents should review their utility's Consumer Confidence Report and may want to consider additional water filtration for drinking.

Violation Context

Mason County has recorded 3 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 12.3 violations per 100,000 people served, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Mason County meets baseline standards but the compliance record shows room for improvement, with a Grade C rating. Mason County's drinking-water compliance score is 53.1 out of 100. The violation rate for Mason County is 12.3 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. There are 7 active water-quality monitoring sites in Mason County. A pipeline streamflow snapshot from the OHIO RIVER gauge is also available on this page.

Regional Context

Mason County has better water quality than the average county in West Virginia. Its water score is 17.9 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 Mason County's water environment

Official EPA Resources for Mason County

EPA How's My Waterway

Interactive watershed health data for Mason County

EPA ECHO: Drinking Water Systems

Search water utilities and violation records for Mason 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 11 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

7

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

2.2K

2,190 total readings

Most Measured

  • Inorganics, Minor, Metals
  • Physical
  • Inorganics, Major, 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).

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 Mason 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 Mason County, West Virginia?
Mason County, West Virginia has a drinking-water quality grade of C with a score of 53.1/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 3 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 Mason County?
Mason County has 3 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 healthy are the watersheds in Mason County?
EPA ATTAINS assessments under Clean Water Act §303(d) indicate 0.0% of Mason County's 11 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 Mason County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 2,190 measurements from 7 monitoring sites in Mason County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Inorganics, Minor, Metals, Physical, Inorganics, Major, 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.
How does Mason County water compare to the West Virginia average?
Mason County's SDWIS water quality score of 53.1/100 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 Mason County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Mason County has a water quality grade of C (53.1/100). 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).
Does Mason County have clean drinking water?
Mason County has 3 health-based drinking water violations according to EPA records. With a water quality score of 53.1/100 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 Mason County rank for water quality in West Virginia?
Mason County ranks #14 out of 54 counties in West Virginia by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 53.1/100, 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

Wood County

West Virginia

C

52.4

Water score

Braxton County

West Virginia

C

55.0

Water score

Monroe County

West Virginia

D

50.7

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

Explore more data for Mason County

Property TaxCost of LivingCrime RateIncomeHealthSchoolsDisaster RiskWeatherCounty Score