Community Water System · PWS MT0000241
Helena Water System
Operator location Helena, Montana - larger served population (> 3,309) at 32,091 people served; 68 SDWIS violations on record from surface water sources.
- 32,091
- People served (this PWS)
- 68
- EPA violations (this PWS)
- 13
- Health-based (this PWS)
- No PFAS
- UCMR5 (this PWS)
Helena Water System standing, mid SDWIS violation third
32,091 people served (SDWIS) - larger served population (> 3,309). Corpus terciles use 29,740 systems serving 500+ (the sitemap cohort). Health-based share 19% is middle-third health share (≤ 23%). UCMR5: UCMR5 tested, none detected. Population rank #1,741 of 29,740 among systems serving 500+.
The verdict
Helena Water System lands in the middle third by violation volume (68), large enough for peer comparisons without matching the fleet's heaviest ledgers. Population served is large (32,091; larger served population (> 3,309)), so household exposure scale sits behind the violation mix. Health-based share is 19% (middle-third health share (≤ 23%)). UCMR5 tested this system and reported no PFAS above the minimum reporting level.
- #1,741 of 29,740
- Population · /systems
- #6 of 283
- Population · MT
- 68
- Total EPA violations on record
- 19%
- Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
Population ordinals match the sitemap cohort (systems serving 500+, population_served DESC). See methodology · corpus placement.
System Details
- System Type
- Community
- Owner Type
- Local
- Connections
- 11,684
- County
- Lewis and Clark
- School/Daycare
- No
- MCL Violations
- 13
- Monitoring Violations
- 50
- Treatment Tech Violations
- 0
Violation History
Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.
| Contaminant | Category | Count | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| TTHM | MR | 9 | 2006 |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | MCL | 9 | 2023 |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | MR | 9 | 2006 |
| Coliform (TCR) | MR | 8 | 2008 |
| Surface Water Treatment Rule | MR | 7 | 2008 |
| Lead and Copper Rule | MR | 6 | 2007 |
| Coliform (TCR) | MCL | 4 | 2008 |
| Arsenic | MR | 3 | 2005 |
| Consumer Confidence Rule | Other | 3 | 2011 |
| Asbestos | MR | 3 | 2011 |
| Nitrate-Nitrite | MR | 3 | 2005 |
| Nitrate | MR | 1 | 1993 |
| Combined Radium (-226 and -228) | MR | 1 | 2008 |
Violation Count vs. the National Corpus
Helena Water System has 68 recorded EPA violations, 64% of the 29,740 public water systems serving 500+ people nationwide carry fewer, and 35% carry more. 19% of this system's own violations are health-based (13 of 68), and it ranks #1,741 of 29,740 by population served among that same cohort.
EPA violations vs. the national water-system corpus
Public water systems serving 500+ people (EPA SDWIS)
68 Around the middle fewer violations than 35% of 29,740 water systems
the national water-system corpus, bucketed by value
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more water systems. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source EPA SDWIS · 2026-05-15
PFAS Testing Results (UCMR5)
Results from EPA's Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule. 0 of 261 samples detected PFAS.
| Contaminant | Date | Result | MRL | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6:2 FTS | 7/19/2023 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 9Cl-PF3ONS | 7/19/2023 | <2.00 ppt | 2.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFBA | 7/19/2023 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHxS | 7/19/2023 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| HFPO-DA | 7/19/2023 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHpA | 7/19/2023 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| ADONA | 7/19/2023 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 11Cl-PF3OUdS | 7/19/2023 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFUnA | 7/19/2023 | <2.00 ppt | 2.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHxA | 7/19/2023 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFDoA | 7/19/2023 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFDA | 7/19/2023 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFOA | 7/19/2023 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFBS | 7/19/2023 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 4:2 FTS | 7/19/2023 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFOS | 7/19/2023 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFPeS | 7/19/2023 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHpS | 7/19/2023 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFMPA | 7/19/2023 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFPeA | 7/19/2023 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFMBA | 7/19/2023 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFEESA | 7/19/2023 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| NFDHA | 7/19/2023 | <20.00 ppt | 20.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 8:2 FTS | 7/19/2023 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFTA | 7/19/2023 | <8.00 ppt | 8.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| NMeFOSAA | 7/19/2023 | <6.00 ppt | 6.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| NEtFOSAA | 7/19/2023 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFTrDA | 7/19/2023 | <7.00 ppt | 7.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFNA | 7/19/2023 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFDoA | 7/19/2023 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFOS | 7/19/2023 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFOA | 7/19/2023 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFDA | 7/19/2023 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFNA | 7/19/2023 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHxA | 7/19/2023 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFUnA | 7/19/2023 | <2.00 ppt | 2.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFMBA | 7/19/2023 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFPeA | 7/19/2023 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFMPA | 7/19/2023 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 4:2 FTS | 7/19/2023 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFHxS | 7/19/2023 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 9Cl-PF3ONS | 7/19/2023 | <2.00 ppt | 2.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 8:2 FTS | 7/19/2023 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFPeS | 7/19/2023 | <4.00 ppt | 4.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 11Cl-PF3OUdS | 7/19/2023 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| HFPO-DA | 7/19/2023 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| ADONA | 7/19/2023 | <3.00 ppt | 3.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| 6:2 FTS | 7/19/2023 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| PFBA | 7/19/2023 | <5.00 ppt | 5.00 ppt | Not Detected |
| NFDHA | 7/19/2023 | <20.00 ppt | 20.00 ppt | Not Detected |
Population served record for Helena Water System
EPA SDWIS lists 32,091 people served and 11,684 connections for this PWS, confirm the service-area footprint on the federal report before comparing to municipal census totals.
Sources: EPA SDWIS
Nationwide peers
68 violations · 32,091 served: nearest cross-state SDWIS matches.
Cross-state systems near this violation count
Nearest cross-state community systems (500+ served) by total SDWIS violations on record.
Cross-state systems with similar served population
Nearest cross-state systems by EPA SDWIS population_served (same 500+ sitemap gate).
What to do with Helena Water System
Use this system's EPA-reported record as a starting filter, not a final verdict.
- See how every tracked system in Montana compares on the same EPA violation measures. Montana systems
- Check whether PFAS was detected at this system under UCMR5 testing. PFAS guide
- Find and compare another public water system by name or PWSID. Search systems
EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 figures are informational only, not a substitute for a certified lab test of your own tap water.