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Non-Transient Non-Community Water System · PWS MT0003840

Western Energy Company

Colstrip, Montana 59323 - drinking water served from groundwater sources to 200 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

200
People served
131
EPA violations
7
Health-based
Untested
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 131 drinking-water violations at Western Energy Company, 5% of them health-based - below the Montana per-system average.

131
Total EPA violations on record
5%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
200
People served by this system
N/A
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Western Energy Company

Western Energy Company is a private-owned non-transient non-community water system that delivers drinking water to 200 residents in Colstrip, Montana (Rosebud County) through 3 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 131 total violations for this system , of which 7 (5%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 124 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2018.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Lead and Copper Rule, recorded in 69 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, 28 of 45 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (62.2%).

Western Energy Company's 131 violations sit below 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
200
Total Violations
131
Health-Based Violations
7
Water Source
Groundwater

System Details

System Type
Non-Transient Non-Community
Owner Type
Private
Connections
3
County
Rosebud
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
7
Monitoring Violations
124
Treatment Tech Violations
0

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Lead and Copper Rule MR 69 2018
Coliform (TCR) MR 17 2009
Coliform (TCR) MCL 7 2000
Nitrate MR 6 1998
Nitrate-Nitrite MR 3 2009
Fluoride MR 2 1996
Chromium MR 2 1996
Cadmium MR 2 1996
Barium MR 2 1996
Mercury MR 2 1996
Selenium MR 2 1996
Pentachlorophenol MR 1 1996
Total Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB) MR 1 1996
Carbofuran MR 1 1996
Atrazine MR 1 1996
2,4,5-TP MR 1 1996
2,4-D MR 1 1996
Toxaphene MR 1 1996
BHC-GAMMA MR 1 1996
Nickel MR 1 1996
Beryllium, Total MR 1 1996
Methoxychlor MR 1 1996
Heptachlor epoxide MR 1 1996
Heptachlor MR 1 1996
Chlordane MR 1 1996
Thallium, Total MR 1 1996
Antimony, Total MR 1 1996
LASSO MR 1 1996

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 Western Energy Company.

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 MT0003840 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
2018 Lead and Copper Rule MR 69 SDWIS / MT0003840 / 5000
2009 Coliform (TCR) MR 17 SDWIS / MT0003840 / 3100
2009 Nitrate-Nitrite MR 3 SDWIS / MT0003840 / 1038
2000 Coliform (TCR) MCL 7 SDWIS / MT0003840 / 3100
1998 Nitrate MR 6 SDWIS / MT0003840 / 1040
1996 Fluoride MR 2 SDWIS / MT0003840 / 1025
1996 Chromium MR 2 SDWIS / MT0003840 / 1020
1996 Cadmium MR 2 SDWIS / MT0003840 / 1015
1996 Barium MR 2 SDWIS / MT0003840 / 1010
1996 Mercury MR 2 SDWIS / MT0003840 / 1035
1996 Selenium MR 2 SDWIS / MT0003840 / 1045
1996 Pentachlorophenol MR 1 SDWIS / MT0003840 / 2326
1996 Total Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB) MR 1 SDWIS / MT0003840 / 2383
1996 Carbofuran MR 1 SDWIS / MT0003840 / 2046
1996 Atrazine MR 1 SDWIS / MT0003840 / 2050

How Western Energy Company Compares

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

Metric Western Energy Company Montana avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 131 131.4 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 7 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 200 492 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 Western Energy Company water safe to drink? ▼
Western Energy Company (PWS ID: MT0003840) has 131 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 200 people using Groundwater sources.
How many people does Western Energy Company serve? ▼
Western Energy Company serves 200 people in Colstrip, Montana. It is a Private-owned system using Groundwater water sources with 3 service connections.
What type of violations does Western Energy Company have? ▼
Western Energy Company has 131 total violations: 7 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 124 monitoring/reporting violations, and 0 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Western Energy Company water? ▼
No PFAS testing data is available for Western Energy Company under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does Western Energy Company use? ▼
Western Energy Company uses Groundwater as its primary water source. It is classified as a Non-Transient Non-Community Water System, serving the same people for at least 6 months per year.
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.