States › Oklahoma › Cherokee County

Cherokee County, OK Water Quality

Water quality data for 12 public water systems serving Cherokee County, Oklahoma — based on EPA SDWIS enforcement records, lead testing results, and health-based violation history.

📅 2026 Report 🔄 Data updated 2026 Q2 📍 12 water systems · 27 cities
✅
Generally Safe — Most Systems Performing Well

The majority of water systems have no active violations and lead levels well below the federal action level.

B

Cherokee County Earns a B

Cherokee County: 27 communities across 12 water systems. 100.0% have no open violations.

  • Median lead where detected: 1.00 ppb
  • 19 communities with a lead detection, 8 reporting none detected
  • 0 communities with PFAS above the federal limit
  • 12 with significant inspection deficiencies
  • 100.0% of communities have no open violations
1 ppb
Median Lead Level
County-wide, 90th percentile
12
Water Systems
Active CWS & NTNCWS
100%
Violation-Free
No active violations on record
How we grade counties: MyWaterIQ uses EPA SDWIS enforcement data — actual MCL violations and lead test results — not the aspirational MCLG targets used by some sites. A grade reflects real compliance history, not theoretical risk. Learn more →

Cities by Water Quality

⭐ Best Performing
  • Norwood
    Not detected
    No federal limits exceeded on record
    B
  • Lost City
    1.10 ppb
    No federal limits exceeded on record
    B
  • Shady Grove
    1.10 ppb
    No federal limits exceeded on record
    B
  • Welling
    1.00 ppb
    No federal limits exceeded on record
    B
  • Tenkiller
    1.00 ppb
    No federal limits exceeded on record
    B
⚠ Needs Attention
  • Cookson
    2.00 ppb
    3 significant inspection deficiencies
    C
  • Dry Creek
    2.00 ppb
    3 significant inspection deficiencies
    C
  • Tahlequah
    Not detected
    2 significant inspection deficiencies
    C
  • Park Hill
    Not detected
    2 significant inspection deficiencies
    C
  • Sparrowhawk
    1.00 ppb
    3 significant inspection deficiencies
    B
County Lead Level — Median 1 ppb
Based on most recent 90th percentile lead tests across all reporting systems
0 ppb5 ppb10 ppb15 ppb
County median: 1 ppb — 6.7% of the federal action level
Systems by Lead Level
Under 5 ppb
19
No Data
8

All Cities in Cherokee County

Tahlequah Not detected C
Park Hill Not detected C
Grandview 1.00 ppb B
Norwood Not detected B
Briggs 1.70 ppb B
Keys Not detected B
Cookson 2.00 ppb C
Peggs Not detected B
Pettit Not detected B
Woodall 2.20 ppb B
Lost City 1.10 ppb B
Zeb 2.20 ppb B
Shady Grove 1.10 ppb B
Welling 1.00 ppb B
Tenkiller 1.00 ppb B
Hulbert Not detected B
Barber 1.00 ppb B
Caney 1.00 ppb B
Moodys 1.00 ppb B
Dry Creek 2.00 ppb C
Eldon 1.70 ppb B
Gideon Not detected B
Caney Ridge 1.00 ppb B
Sparrowhawk 1.00 ppb B
Steely Hollow 1.00 ppb B
Etta 1.00 ppb B
Pumpkin Hollow 1.70 ppb B
Showing 27 cities
No active violations Active violations

About Cherokee County Drinking Water

Cherokee County is served by 12 water systems covering 27 communities. No community here has an open violation on record.

Of the communities reporting lead results, 19 recorded a detection, with a median of 1.00 ppb — 7% of the federal action level. 8 reported none detected, which means below the laboratory limit rather than an absence of lead.

No community here has PFAS above the federal limit on record. State inspectors recorded significant deficiencies at 12 of them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Cherokee County tap water safe to drink?▼
No community in Cherokee County has an open violation on record. No community has PFAS above the federal limit on record.
What is the lead level in Cherokee County?▼
Among communities with a detection the median is 1.00 ppb, 7% of the 15 ppb action level. 8 reported none detected and 0 reported no result.
How many water systems serve Cherokee County?▼
12 community water systems serve 27 communities here.
← Back to Oklahoma water quality overview