01The verdict: is Cove water safe?
Based on EPA testing data, Cove's tap water is generally safe to drink. The water system earned a grade of B+ (82.9/100), meeting federal drinking water standards across key contaminant categories. The city's 1 water system serves approximately 651 residents using surface water (rivers, lakes, or reservoirs).
Nothing over a legal limit
Every contaminant measured in Cove's water is within its EPA limit, and no violations are unresolved.
See the testing ↓Monitoring is on schedule
The system is meeting its EPA monitoring and reporting requirements — testing is happening when it should.
See the score ↓3 violations in the last five years
Recent compliance history is the best predictor of future problems — the year-by-year record is below.
See the record ↓Cove's drinking water received a grade of B+ (82.9 out of 100), indicating good water quality. The city's 1 water system serves approximately 651 residents using purchased surface water.
Lead data is not currently available for this system. This system has not yet been tested for PFAS under the EPA UCMR 5 program. The system has 11 violations on record, including 9 health-based violations. All violations have been resolved.
Cove ranks #206 out of 345 cities in Arkansas for water quality, placing it below average in the state. The city draws from surface water sources, which are more susceptible to seasonal runoff and agricultural contamination, requiring extensive multi-barrier treatment including coagulation, filtration, and disinfection. As a small community water system, Cove may have fewer resources for advanced treatment technologies and infrastructure upgrades compared to larger utilities.
02What's in Cove's water
Every contaminant flagged in Cove, on one shared scale: distance to its own legal limit. The red line is the limit — anything past it is out of compliance, and the closer a bar gets, the less headroom the system has.
No contaminants were measured above screening thresholds in the most recent EPA sampling data for this system. The full testing table below lists everything checked.
Full contaminants report
No contaminant data available for this city.
Cities ranked by 90th-percentile lead PF PFAS in Arkansas
Cities ranked by compounds detected Cu Copper in Arkansas
Cities ranked by 90th-percentile copper
03Cove's ten-year track record
Each box is one year. A green check means no EPA violations; a numbered badge counts that year's violations — red if any were health-based, amber if they were monitoring or paperwork issues. The system has 11 violations on record, including 9 health-based violations. All violations have been resolved.
7 of the last ten years were clean. The numbered years had EPA violations — red when any were health-based, amber when they were paperwork or missed-testing issues.
04Where Cove's water comes from
Cove's drinking water comes primarily from surface water sources such as rivers, lakes, or reservoirs.
Purchased Surface Water
Rivers, lakes, or reservoirs — more exposed to runoff, agriculture, and seasonal swings than groundwater.
Wholesale supplier
Multi-barrier treatment: coagulation, sedimentation, filtration, and disinfection to meet EPA standards.
1 system
1 water system, operated under local government ownership.
651 people
Residents served across Cove's service area.
Surface water systems require multi-stage treatment including coagulation, sedimentation, filtration, and disinfection to meet EPA Safe Drinking Water Act standards. These sources can be impacted by seasonal changes, stormwater runoff, upstream agriculture, and industrial discharge. The system is operated by local government ownership and serves approximately 651 people through 1 water system.
| System name | PWSID | Population | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| COVE WATERWORKS | AR0000439 | 651 | Purchased Surface Water |
05Pressure on Cove's watershed
Outside forces that shape what reaches the treatment plant. None of these is a verdict on the tap by itself — but each adds pressure worth knowing about.
Industrial discharge
1 facility within 10 miles reported 0 lb released to surface water in the latest EPA Toxics Release Inventory. Proximity doesn't equal tap contamination — treatment and hydrology decide — but it's pressure on the watershed.
Flood & storm history
5 federal disaster declarations on record for Polk County. Flooding and severe storms can overwhelm treatment plants, cause sewage overflows, and push runoff into supplies.
Drought
Polk County is in D1 (moderate drought) per the U.S. Drought Monitor (week of Jul 2026). Drought can raise disinfection-byproduct levels and taste/odor issues as utilities draw from lower reservoirs.
06How Cove compares
Scores for nearby Arkansas cities on one line, with the average marked.
dashed line = Arkansas average (75/100)
Cove scores 82.9/100 — above the Arkansas average of 75/100. It outscores 7 of 10 nearby cities. Full Arkansas rankings →
69.3 / 100DFayetteville, AR
46.4 / 100BSpringdale, AR
79.1 / 100DFort Smith, AR
45.5 / 100BHot Springs, AR
81.2 / 100BRogers, AR
71.9 / 100
Compare all cities in the county — grades, violations, and contaminant data side by side.→
07What to do at home
Steps matched to what testing actually found in Cove's water — not generic advice.
A basic carbon filter still helps
Cove's water meets federal standards, but a simple carbon filter improves taste and adds a margin of safety against short-term issues.
Compare tested filters →Read your utility's annual report
Every utility must publish a yearly Consumer Confidence Report with its own testing results. It pairs well with the independent data on this page.
How to read a CCR →Watch for Cove alerts
This area has a history of flood declarations — after severe weather, watch for boil-water advisories from the utility, and check the live alerts on this page.
All water alerts →Frequently asked questions
Is Cove, AR tap water safe to drink?
Cove's water quality earned a grade of B+ (82.9/100). The water generally meets EPA standards and is considered safe for consumption. The city ranks #206 out of 345 cities tested in Arkansas.
What contaminants are in Cove's water?
11 violations are on record.
How is Cove's water quality grade calculated?
The grade is based on four factors: violation history (40%), lead and copper levels (25%), PFAS contamination (25%), and regulatory compliance (10%). The score is also adjusted based on how complete the available data is. See our methodology page for full details.
Do I need a water filter in Cove?
Based on current data, basic filtration should suffice for additional peace of mind.
Where does Cove's water come from?
Cove's water is sourced from Purchased surface water. The city has 1 water system serving approximately 651 residents.
What health violations has Cove's water system had?
Cove has 9 health-based violations on record. The most recent violation was recorded in April 2023. Health-based violations mean the water exceeded EPA maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for a regulated substance. All health violations have been resolved.
How does Cove's water compare to other cities?
Cove ranks #206 out of 345 cities in Arkansas (better than 40% of state cities) and #6650 out of 15382 cities nationally (57th percentile). The grade of B+ reflects the combined assessment of violation history, lead and copper levels, PFAS contamination, and regulatory compliance.
Does Cove's small water system affect quality?
Cove's system serves approximately 651 residents. Small community water systems (under 3,300 people) may have fewer financial resources for infrastructure upgrades and advanced treatment technologies. However, they are held to the same EPA drinking water standards as larger systems. This system has 11 violations on record.