Butte, CA

Low Risk (16/100)

A PlainEnviro-computed score from reported facility/violation counts, not an official EPA rating, health forecast, or population-adjusted rate. See methodology.

Environmental data for Butte in California · Population: 209,470

Butte, CA is tracked across three EPA datasets covering 2 Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) facilities, 28 Safe Drinking Water Act systems, and 0 Superfund National Priorities List sites. Together these generate an environmental burden score of 16/100 (Low Risk), calibrated against national distributions for facility density, chemical release volume, Superfund concentration, and water-system health violations.

Industrial disclosures inside the county total 0 lbs of reported toxic releases under EPCRA Section 313, while 15 water systems carry an active health-based violation in the SDWIS record. EPA Air Quality System monitors logged a median AQI of 46 and a peak AQI of 213 in 2024, with 63% of observed days rated "Good" (0–50).

All figures below draw directly from federal EPA records, TRI self-reported emissions, SDWIS compliance history, NPL Hazard Ranking System scores, and AQS daily AQI summaries, and are not adjusted, weighted, or forecast. A past violation or elevated score does not itself indicate current unsafe conditions; it documents the regulatory and disclosure history publicly filed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through the most recent reporting cycle.

Population
209,470
TRI Facilities
2
Water Systems
28
Superfund Sites
0
Total Releases
0 lbs

Air Quality History (2020–2024)

EPA Air Quality Index (AQI) data showing how many days per year fall into each air quality category.

Year Good Moderate Unhealthy (SG) Max AQI
2024 231 (63%) 133 0 213
2023 191 (52%) 174 0 100
2022 191 (52%) 171 3 119
2021 160 (44%) 174 18 257
2020 149 (41%) 178 18 508
2024 Good Air Quality: 63% of days
Unhealthy days: 2
Median AQI: 46

Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) Annual AQI by County EPA Air Quality System (AQS) Annual AQI by County AQI categories: Good (0-50), Moderate (51-100), Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (101-150), Unhealthy (151-200), Very Unhealthy (201-300), Hazardous (301+)

For real-time air quality readings and pollutant breakdowns in California, see the EPA's AirNow.gov.

Water Systems (28)

System Population Violations
SOUTH FEATHER W&P - MINERS RANCH 22,664 0
THERMALITO WATER & SEWER DIST 12,136 2
PARADISE IRRIGATION DISTRICT 9,142 0
CITY OF GRIDLEY 7,269 1
CITY OF BIGGS 2,060 1
DURHAM IRRIGATION DISTRICT 1,581 0
GRIDLEY FARM LABOR HOUSING 460 0
BUTTE CREEK ESTATES MUTUAL WATER CO 399 0
PLEASANT GROVE MHP 327 1
LAKE MADRONE WATER DISTRICT 297 0
GRAN MUTUAL WATER CO 290 0
ALMOND GROVE MOBILE PARK 253 1
FOOTHILLS MANUFACTURED HOME COMMUNUTY 180 1
KEEFER CREEK ESTATES 160 0
YOUTH WITH A MISSION-SPRINGS OF LIVING W 150 0
SIERRA MOON MUTUAL WATER COMPANY 120 1
FOREST RANCH MUTUAL WATER SYSTEM 119 2
MERRY MOUNTAIN MUTUAL 90 1
BLUE OAK TERRACE MUTUAL 81 0
SOUTH FEATHER W&P - BANGOR 73 0
HUMBOLDT HIGHLANDS MUTUAL 58 0
HUMBOLDT WOODLANDS MUTUAL 55 1
FOREST KNOLLS MUTUAL WATER CO 46 2
HARTLEY MUTUAL WATER SYSTEM 41 1
MOUNTAIN VILLAGE HOMEOWNER'S ASSOC 40 1
BERRY CREEK COMMUNITY SERVICE DIST 28 1
FALLING ROCK RV PARK 25 0
BIGGERS GLEN MUTUAL WATER CO 25 1

TRI Facilities (2)

# Facility Total Releases
1 Federal Cartridge Company-Oroville Operations 0 lbs
2 A&a Concrete Supply Inc Chico Plant 0 lbs

Cities in Butte (2)

Oroville
Pop: -
1 facilities · 7 water
Chico
Pop: -
1 facilities · 30 water

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the environmental risk level in Butte, California?
Butte, CA has an environmental risk score of 16/100 (Low Risk), based on 2 TRI facilities, 0 Superfund sites, and 28 water systems on record. 15 water systems have health-based violations. Source: EPA TRI, SDWIS, and Superfund NPL.
Are there Superfund sites in Butte?
No Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) sites are currently registered in Butte, CA in the EPA database.
How many toxic release facilities are in Butte?
Butte, CA has 2 TRI-reporting facilities on record with the EPA Toxic Release Inventory, with a combined total of 0 lbs in reported toxic releases. TRI facilities self-report annual chemical release data to the EPA.
What is the air quality in Butte?
In 2024, Butte, CA recorded a median AQI of 46 and a peak AQI of 213. 63% of monitored days had "Good" air quality (AQI 0–50). Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) Annual AQI by County.
Is the drinking water safe in Butte?
Butte, CA has 28 EPA-regulated water systems. 15 systems have reported health-based violations (MCL exceedances). A past violation does not necessarily mean water is currently unsafe. For current water quality, contact your local water utility. Source: EPA SDWIS.
What environmental agencies cover Butte?
Environmental compliance in Butte, California is overseen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at the federal level and the California state environmental agency. Facilities report to the EPA Toxic Release Inventory, water systems are regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act, and contaminated sites are managed under the Superfund program. Contact your state environmental agency for local concerns.

What does this county environmental profile show?

This county environmental profile rolls up EPA Toxics Release Inventory facility reports, Safe Drinking Water Information System public-water-system filings, and Superfund National Priorities List sites for the county boundary defined by the U.S. Census Bureau. Facility counts reflect facilities with a reporting address inside the county, not where downstream environmental effects may be observed. Population figures are from the most recent Census ACS 5-year estimate. The county detail page is updated whenever the upstream EPA programs publish revised data; see the methodology page for the documented ingest cadence and the editorial choices governing how aggregations are computed.

Related

Data sourced from U.S. EPA environmental datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainEnviro Editorial