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Community Water System · PWS MT0003183

Barnett Water Users System

Helena, Montana 59602 - drinking water served from groundwater sources to 70 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

70
People served
332
EPA violations
11
Health-based
Untested
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 332 drinking-water violations at Barnett Water Users System, 3% of them health-based - above the Montana per-system average.

332
Total EPA violations on record
3%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
70
People served by this system
N/A
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Barnett Water Users System

Barnett Water Users System is a private-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 70 residents in Helena, Montana (Lewis and Clark County) through 29 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 332 total violations for this system , of which 11 (3%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 317 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2024.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Lead and Copper Rule, recorded in 14 violations (MR). This system has not yet been sampled under EPA's UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program, so no PFAS detection data is available here.

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, 5 of 45 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (11.1%).

Barnett Water Users System's 332 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
70
Total Violations
332
Health-Based Violations
11
Water Source
Groundwater

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Private
Connections
29
County
Lewis and Clark
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
11
Monitoring Violations
317
Treatment Tech Violations
0

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Lead and Copper Rule MR 14 2024
Coliform (TCR) MCL 11 2008
Xylenes, Total MR 7 2011
trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 7 2011
1,2-Dichloroethane MR 7 2011
Carbon tetrachloride MR 7 2011
Trichloroethylene MR 7 2011
Arsenic MR 7 2011
Toluene MR 7 2011
Styrene MR 7 2011
DICHLOROMETHANE MR 7 2011
Vinyl chloride MR 7 2011
1,1-Dichloroethylene MR 7 2011
1,2-Dichloropropane MR 7 2011
Tetrachloroethylene MR 7 2011
Benzene MR 7 2011
CHLOROBENZENE MR 7 2011
p-Dichlorobenzene MR 7 2011
1,1,2-Trichloroethane MR 7 2011
1,1,1-Trichloroethane MR 7 2011
o-Dichlorobenzene MR 7 2011
1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene MR 7 2011
Coliform (TCR) MR 7 2013
cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 7 2011
Ethylbenzene MR 7 2011
Chromium MR 6 2014
Fluoride MR 6 2014
Nickel MR 6 2014
Thallium, Total MR 6 2014
Selenium MR 6 2014

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 Barnett Water Users System.

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 MT0003183 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
2024 Lead and Copper Rule MR 14 SDWIS / MT0003183 / 5000
2023 Consumer Confidence Rule Other 4 SDWIS / MT0003183 / 7000
2022 E. COLI MR 4 SDWIS / MT0003183 / 3014
2014 Chromium MR 6 SDWIS / MT0003183 / 1020
2014 Fluoride MR 6 SDWIS / MT0003183 / 1025
2014 Nickel MR 6 SDWIS / MT0003183 / 1036
2014 Thallium, Total MR 6 SDWIS / MT0003183 / 1085
2014 Selenium MR 6 SDWIS / MT0003183 / 1045
2014 Barium MR 6 SDWIS / MT0003183 / 1010
2014 Cadmium MR 6 SDWIS / MT0003183 / 1015
2014 Mercury MR 6 SDWIS / MT0003183 / 1035
2014 Antimony, Total MR 6 SDWIS / MT0003183 / 1074
2014 Beryllium, Total MR 6 SDWIS / MT0003183 / 1075
2013 Coliform (TCR) MR 7 SDWIS / MT0003183 / 3100
2011 Xylenes, Total MR 7 SDWIS / MT0003183 / 2955

How Barnett Water Users System Compares

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

Metric Barnett Water Users System Montana avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 332 131.4 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 11 11.5 Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL
PFAS detection None 11.1% EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt
Population served 70 492 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 Barnett Water Users System water safe to drink? ▼
Barnett Water Users System (PWS ID: MT0003183) has 332 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 70 people using Groundwater sources.
How many people does Barnett Water Users System serve? ▼
Barnett Water Users System serves 70 people in Helena, Montana. It is a Private-owned system using Groundwater water sources with 29 service connections.
What type of violations does Barnett Water Users System have? ▼
Barnett Water Users System has 332 total violations: 11 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 317 monitoring/reporting violations, and 0 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Barnett Water Users System water? ▼
No PFAS testing data is available for Barnett Water Users System under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does Barnett Water Users System use? ▼
Barnett Water Users System uses Groundwater 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. 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.