Meade County, South Dakota
8 ZIP codes · Avg score 78/100 · Grade B · Updated 2026-06-04
The 8 water systems serving Meade County show strong compliance with federal drinking water standards.
How Meade County Compares
How Meade County Compares
Meade County scores 18 points above the South Dakota state average (60/100) and 10 points above the national average (68/100).
Data: EPA SDWIS Last verified: 2026-06-04
ZIP Code Risk Map
Water Quality Map: Meade County, South Dakota
Each dot represents a ZIP code. Color indicates water quality grade. Tap a dot for details.
Key Risk Factors
Health risk index: 11.8 (asthma 10.3%, diabetes 9.5%)
Estimated additional annual cost per homeowner: $751, driven primarily by wildfire
Infrastructure: 0.341% avg pipe failure probability, 25% of ZIPs at high risk
55.3% of homes built before 1978 (lead paint era)
Violation History (2021–2025)
↓ Improving trendEPA violation counts by year across Meade County water systems. Health-based shown in red, total in blue.
Peak year: 2022 with 4 violations. Past 5 years: 12 total (12 health-based). Health-based violations are declining versus the prior 2-year window.
Source: EPA SDWIS historical violations. Data may lag 6–12 months for the most recent year.
County Health Indicators vs National Average
Black markers indicate national averages. Source: CDC PLACES, Census ACS.
Infrastructure Overview
Sources: Census ACS (housing age), EPA SDWIS (infrastructure risk model), state bridge inspection data.
Compound Risk Breakdown
Estimated additional annual cost per homeowner: $751
Bar widths proportional to share of total annual risk cost. Source: compound risk model (FEMA, EPA, USGS).
Housing Age Distribution
10,971 housing units in Meade County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS B25034 (Year Structure Built).
Water Safety Affordability
How much it costs to fix water issues relative to home values in Meade County
Remediation costs are relatively manageable for most homeowners in Meade County, representing a small fraction of property value.
Remediation includes water filtration, lead abatement, radon mitigation, and flood protection where applicable. Source: Census ACS, EPA SDWIS.
Health Outcomes vs National Average
CDC PLACES data for Meade County residents
Black markers = national averages. Red = above national avg. Green = below. Source: CDC PLACES, Census ACS.
Water Systems with Most Violations
Top 5 systems in Meade County ranked by EPA violation count.
| # | Water System | Population | Violations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bear Butte Valley Water | 450 | 8 |
| 2 | BUTTE-MEADE SWD-BEAN WELL | 1,481 | 7 |
| 3 | Black Hawk Water User District | 4,500 | 5 |
| 4 | Northdale Sanitary District | 1,075 | 4 |
| 5 | Piedmont | 971 | 4 |
24 total water systems serve Meade County.
All ZIP Codes in Meade County
8 ZIP codes tracked in Meade County.
| # | ZIP Code | City | Safety Score | Grade | Violations | Home Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 57626 | Faith | 83 | B | 0 | $163K |
| 2 | 57706 | Ellsworth Afb | 83 | B | 0 | — |
| 3 | 57741 | Fort Meade | 83 | B | 0 | — |
| 4 | 57718 | Black Hawk | 82 | B | 1 (1 health) | $271K |
| 5 | 57769 | Piedmont | 81 | B | 4 (2 health) | $329K |
| 6 | 57791 | Wasta | 81 | B | 1 | $120K |
| 7 | 57785 | Sturgis | 77 | B | 3 | $263K |
| 8 | 57748 | Howes | 53 | D | 0 | $236K |
Recommended Buyer Guides for Meade County
Designed to find the guide that fits the county, not the other way around — the system reads EPA detections, FEMA hazard layers, and CDC lead-exposure markers, then outputs the categories that resolve those specific risks for households here, with NSF-certified products surfaced when the matching contaminant appears in the local monitoring data.
- Best Lead Paint Test Kits — 55.3% of homes built before 1978
- Best Under-Sink Reverse Osmosis Systems — Multi-contaminant removal at the kitchen tap
- Best HEPA Air Purifiers for Wildfire Smoke — Wildfire is the top compound risk factor
Deep Dive Reports
Detailed analysis for Meade County, South Dakota
Overview
Meade County in South Dakota covers 8 ZIP codes with an average Home Safety Score of B (78/100).
4 of 8 ZIP codes have recorded EPA violations. 3 health-based violations have been documented.
← Back to South Dakota water quality report
Data Sources
- Water quality: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS)
- Home values: U.S. Census Bureau ACS (median estimates by ZCTA)
Updated daily.