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Community Water System · PWS MT0000170

Butte Silverbow Water Dept

Butte, Montana 59701 - drinking water served from surface water sources to 33,000 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

33,000
People served
334
EPA violations
17
Health-based
No PFAS
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 334 drinking-water violations at Butte Silverbow Water Dept, 5% of them health-based - above the Montana per-system average.

334
Total EPA violations on record
5%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
33,000
People served by this system
0
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Butte Silverbow Water Dept

Butte Silverbow Water Dept is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 33,000 residents in Butte, Montana (Silver Bow County) through 12,958 service connections. Its water is drawn from surface water sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 334 total violations for this system , of which 17 (5%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 312 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2025.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Coliform (TCR), recorded in 17 violations (MR). This system was sampled under EPA's UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program and no PFAS compounds were detected above the minimum reporting level.

Across Montana, EPA tracks 2,263 public water systems serving 1,112,267 people, with 297,270 cumulative violations and 25,922 health-based violations on record. About 95% of systems in the state carry at least one violation, and state-wide the average per system is 131.4 violations. Statewide, 28 of 45 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (62.2%).

Butte Silverbow Water Dept's 334 violations sit above the Montana average.

All figures above are sourced directly from EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 public data releases and are updated as EPA publishes new reporting cycles.

Population Served
33,000
Total Violations
334
Health-Based Violations
17
Water Source
Surface Water

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
12,958
County
Silver Bow
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
10
Monitoring Violations
312
Treatment Tech Violations
7

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Coliform (TCR) MR 17 2012
Trichloroethylene MR 14 2012
1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene MR 13 2012
Xylenes, Total MR 13 2012
DICHLOROMETHANE MR 13 2012
p-Dichlorobenzene MR 13 2012
Vinyl chloride MR 13 2012
trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 13 2012
1,2-Dichloroethane MR 13 2012
Carbon tetrachloride MR 13 2012
1,1,2-Trichloroethane MR 13 2012
Tetrachloroethylene MR 13 2012
CHLOROBENZENE MR 13 2012
Benzene MR 13 2012
cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 13 2012
o-Dichlorobenzene MR 13 2012
1,1-Dichloroethylene MR 13 2012
1,1,1-Trichloroethane MR 13 2012
Toluene MR 13 2012
Styrene MR 13 2012
1,2-Dichloropropane MR 13 2012
Ethylbenzene MR 13 2012
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MCL 10 2011
Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 7 2012
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 6 2024
TTHM MR 6 2024
Nitrate-Nitrite MR 4 2012
Arsenic MR 4 2012
Consumer Confidence Rule Other 1 2025
Nitrate MR 1 1993

PFAS Testing Results (UCMR5)

Results from EPA's Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule. 0 of 248 samples detected PFAS.

Contaminant Date Result MRL Status
PFUnA 7/31/2023 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
4:2 FTS 7/31/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
6:2 FTS 7/31/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBA 7/31/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
HFPO-DA 7/31/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
ADONA 7/31/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
8:2 FTS 7/31/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
11Cl-PF3OUdS 7/31/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFEESA 7/31/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxA 7/31/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDoA 7/31/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFDA 7/31/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOA 7/31/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFOS 7/31/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
9Cl-PF3ONS 7/31/2023 <2.00 ppt 2.00 ppt Not Detected
NEtFOSAA 7/31/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFTA 7/31/2023 <8.00 ppt 8.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBS 7/31/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpA 7/31/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxS 7/31/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeA 7/31/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFTrDA 7/31/2023 <7.00 ppt 7.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMPA 7/31/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
NMeFOSAA 7/31/2023 <6.00 ppt 6.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeS 7/31/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
NFDHA 7/31/2023 <20.00 ppt 20.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMBA 7/31/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpS 7/31/2023 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFNA 7/31/2023 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
NEtFOSAA 7/31/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
NMeFOSAA 7/31/2023 <6.00 ppt 6.00 ppt Not Detected
PFTrDA 7/31/2023 <7.00 ppt 7.00 ppt Not Detected
PFTA 7/31/2023 <8.00 ppt 8.00 ppt Not Detected
NMeFOSAA 7/31/2023 <6.00 ppt 6.00 ppt Not Detected
PFTA 7/31/2023 <8.00 ppt 8.00 ppt Not Detected
PFTrDA 7/31/2023 <7.00 ppt 7.00 ppt Not Detected
NEtFOSAA 7/31/2023 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpA 6/5/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
4:2 FTS 6/5/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
8:2 FTS 6/5/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMPA 6/5/2024 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFPeA 6/5/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFMBA 6/5/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFEESA 6/5/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
NFDHA 6/5/2024 <20.00 ppt 20.00 ppt Not Detected
6:2 FTS 6/5/2024 <5.00 ppt 5.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHpS 6/5/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFHxS 6/5/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected
PFNA 6/5/2024 <4.00 ppt 4.00 ppt Not Detected
PFBS 6/5/2024 <3.00 ppt 3.00 ppt Not Detected

Verify This Water System

The figures above are aggregated from EPA's public databases. To verify the underlying records, or to file a complaint, request a Consumer Confidence Report, or check current monitoring status, go directly to the federal and state regulators that enforce the Safe Drinking Water Act for Butte Silverbow Water Dept.

Federal Source of Truth

EPA SDWIS, Federal Reports

EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) holds the federal compliance record for every regulated public water system. Open the system-level report by PWS ID:

View PWS ID MT0000170 on SDWIS

Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search

State Regulator

Montana Drinking Water Authority

Montana's primacy agency administers the Safe Drinking Water Act locally. Search EPA SDWIS for the current state contact, or use the state's public health or environment department portal.

Find MT regulator via EPA SDWIS

Violation Timeline

Each row links to the EPA SDWIS public record for verification. Cross-reference the contaminant code on EPA's federal report to see violation dates, return-to-compliance status, and enforcement actions.

Year (latest) Contaminant Category Count EPA Record
2025 Consumer Confidence Rule Other 1 SDWIS / MT0000170 / 7000
2024 Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 6 SDWIS / MT0000170 / 2456
2024 TTHM MR 6 SDWIS / MT0000170 / 2950
2012 Coliform (TCR) MR 17 SDWIS / MT0000170 / 3100
2012 Trichloroethylene MR 14 SDWIS / MT0000170 / 2984
2012 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene MR 13 SDWIS / MT0000170 / 2378
2012 Xylenes, Total MR 13 SDWIS / MT0000170 / 2955
2012 DICHLOROMETHANE MR 13 SDWIS / MT0000170 / 2964
2012 p-Dichlorobenzene MR 13 SDWIS / MT0000170 / 2969
2012 Vinyl chloride MR 13 SDWIS / MT0000170 / 2976
2012 trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 13 SDWIS / MT0000170 / 2979
2012 1,2-Dichloroethane MR 13 SDWIS / MT0000170 / 2980
2012 Carbon tetrachloride MR 13 SDWIS / MT0000170 / 2982
2012 1,1,2-Trichloroethane MR 13 SDWIS / MT0000170 / 2985
2012 Tetrachloroethylene MR 13 SDWIS / MT0000170 / 2987

How Butte Silverbow Water Dept Compares

Cross-reference this system's record against state averages and the federal MCL framework for context.

Metric Butte Silverbow Water Dept Montana avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 334 131.4 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 17 11.5 Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL
PFAS detection None 62.2% EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt
Population served 33,000 492 Sizing context for compliance burden

Sources: EPA SDWIS and EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (40 CFR Part 141). State averages computed across 2,263 regulated public water systems in Montana.

Federal MCL reference, Safe Drinking Water Act thresholds ▼
Contaminant Federal MCL / Action Level Note
Lead 0 mg/L (Action Level: 0.015 mg/L) Lead and Copper Rule treatment technique
Arsenic 0.010 mg/L (10 ppb) Health-based MCL since 2006
Total Coliform Treatment technique (RTCR) Indicator organism, monitoring trigger
PFOA / PFOS (PFAS) 4.0 ppt each (final 2024 rule) Compliance deadline 2029 (EPA proposed extending to 2031, not yet final as of May 2026)
Nitrate (as N) 10 mg/L Acute health risk for infants

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Butte Silverbow Water Dept water safe to drink? ▼
Butte Silverbow Water Dept (PWS ID: MT0000170) has 334 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 33,000 people using Surface Water sources.
How many people does Butte Silverbow Water Dept serve? ▼
Butte Silverbow Water Dept serves 33,000 people in Butte, Montana. It is a Local-owned system using Surface Water water sources with 12,958 service connections.
What type of violations does Butte Silverbow Water Dept have? ▼
Butte Silverbow Water Dept has 334 total violations: 17 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 312 monitoring/reporting violations, and 7 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Butte Silverbow Water Dept water? ▼
No. Butte Silverbow Water Dept was tested for PFAS under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program and no PFAS contamination was detected.
What water source does Butte Silverbow Water Dept use? ▼
Butte Silverbow Water Dept uses Surface Water as its primary water source. It is classified as a Community Water System (CWS), serving residential populations year-round.
Where does this data come from? ▼
All data comes from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and the UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program. SDWIS tracks compliance for all public water systems regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Data Sources: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), Q4 2025. PFAS data from EPA UCMR5 monitoring program (2023-2025). This data is provided for informational purposes only.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Data sourced from EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 PFAS monitoring data. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainWater Editorial

Every figure on PlainWater is rendered directly from EPA SDWIS drinking-water data, no number is typed in by an editor. This system's figures are rendered directly from EPA SDWIS data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.