Johnson City, Tennessee

Environmental Quality Report Card

Johnson City reports good air quality, with AQI levels better than the national average. Water tests indicate safe conditions across key measures. Facility compliance with environmental standards is below the national average.

Air Quality (Annual Overview)

Grade B
37.3 AQI

Yearly average AQI (2024): 37.3. National average: 41.4. 7 moderate days, 0 unhealthy days recorded.

Water Quality (Key Indicators)

Grade A
8.11 pH

Latest pH level (2024): 8.11. Ideal range: 6.5–8.5.

Facility Violations

Grade C
663 total violations

Facilities like factories and treatment plants had 0 significant and 663 total violations reported in 2024.

Water Quality (with EPA Standards)

Water quality measurements are provided by the Water Quality Portal , a collaboration between the USGS, EPA, and other agencies.

Characteristic Local Value Safe Range Grade Last Measured
pH 8.11 6.5 - 8.5 A 1/26/2025
Copper 0.49 mg/L <1.3 A 2/24/2025
Turbidity 1.04 NTU <5 A 1/26/2025
Zinc 4.24 mg/L <5 A 11/5/2024
Nitrate 0.39 mg/L <10 A 1/26/2025
Lead 0.00 mg/L <0.015 A 11/5/2024
Arsenic 0.43 mg/L <0.01 F 2/2/2025

Water Quality (No EPA Standard)

These measurements do not have formal EPA standards but are still important indicators of local water quality.

Characteristic Local Value Unit Last Measured
Phosphorus 0.01 mg/L 2/10/2025
Total solids 70.60 mg/L 1/26/2025
Conductivity 119.00 umho/cm 1/26/2025
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 12.72 mg/L 1/26/2025
Apparent color 8.96 PCU 1/26/2025
Total hardness 35.70 mg/L 1/26/2025
Kjeldahl nitrogen 0.11 mg/L 1/26/2025
Nitrate + Nitrite 0.34 mg/L 2/10/2025
Flow 147.00 cfs 12/9/2024
Temperature, water 2.85 deg C 1/26/2025
Chloride 10.50 mg/L 1/26/2025
Alkalinity, total 34.30 mg/L 1/26/2025
Escherichia coli 56.30 MPN/100mL 1/26/2025
Aluminum 4.70 ug/L 2/9/2025
Magnesium 0.03 mg/L 2/2/2025
Calcium 0.08 mg/L 2/23/2025
Iron 8.20 ug/L 2/9/2025
True color 8.22 PCU 11/5/2024
Total dissolved solids 71.70 mg/L 1/26/2025
Organic carbon 0.90 mg/L 1/26/2025
Manganese 16.00 ug/L 2/2/2025
Cadmium 0.10 ug/L 7/8/2024
Total suspended solids 21.40 mg/L 8/19/2024
Sulfate 3.47 mg/L 1/26/2025
Ammonia-nitrogen 0.05 mg/L 12/9/2024

Air Quality Details (2024–2025)

The Air Quality Index (AQI) measures how clean or polluted the air is. A lower AQI means cleaner air. Main pollutants include particulate matter like PM2.5, ozone, and others regulated by EPA standards.
Air quality data sourced from OpenAQ, aggregating official monitoring stations.

Yearly Average AQI National Average AQI Good Days Moderate Days Unhealthy Days Worst Day AQI Top Pollutant
37.3 41.4 16 7 0 95 (on 6/3/2025) PM2.5

Monthly AQI Trend

Monthly average AQI values over the past year. Lower values are better. Peaks may indicate pollution events.

Facility Compliance

Facility compliance and violation data come from the EPA's ECHO database.

924 monitored facilities

Total Violations: 663

Significant Violations: 0

Total Penalties: $5,316,500

Despite no significant violations, Johnson City reported 663 total violations across monitored facilities in 2024. This results in a compliance grade of C, reflecting average adherence to environmental standards compared to national benchmarks.

About the Data

This report uses the latest publicly available environmental data:

  • Air Quality: Data sourced from the OpenAQ Platform, aggregating official air quality monitoring stations near Johnson City.
  • Water Quality: Measurements from the Water Quality Portal, a collaboration between the USGS, EPA, and other agencies.
  • Facility Compliance: Sourced from the EPA's ECHO Database, detailing facility violations, penalties, and compliance rates.

All data is refreshed regularly and reflects the latest available figures for 2024.