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Community Water System · PWS MT0003986

Crystal Springs Water System

Billings, Montana 59101 - drinking water served from groundwater sources to 225 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

225
People served
683
EPA violations
58
Health-based
Untested
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 683 drinking-water violations at Crystal Springs Water System, 8% of them health-based - above the Montana per-system average.

683
Total EPA violations on record
8%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
225
People served by this system
N/A
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Crystal Springs Water System

Crystal Springs Water System is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 225 residents in Billings, Montana (Yellowstone County) through 85 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 683 total violations for this system , of which 58 (8%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 617 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 Lead and Copper Rule, recorded in 186 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%).

Crystal Springs Water System's 683 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
225
Total Violations
683
Health-Based Violations
58
Water Source
Groundwater

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
85
County
Yellowstone
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
51
Monitoring Violations
617
Treatment Tech Violations
7

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Lead and Copper Rule MR 186 2014
Nitrate-Nitrite MCL 51 2025
Nitrate-Nitrite MR 20 2008
1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene MR 9 2008
cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 9 2008
Xylenes, Total MR 9 2008
DICHLOROMETHANE MR 9 2008
Vinyl chloride MR 9 2008
trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 9 2008
1,2-Dichloropropane MR 9 2008
Trichloroethylene MR 9 2008
Benzene MR 9 2008
Toluene MR 9 2008
o-Dichlorobenzene MR 9 2008
p-Dichlorobenzene MR 9 2008
1,2-Dichloroethane MR 9 2008
Carbon tetrachloride MR 9 2008
1,1,2-Trichloroethane MR 9 2008
1,1,1-Trichloroethane MR 9 2008
Tetrachloroethylene MR 9 2008
Styrene MR 9 2008
CHLOROBENZENE MR 9 2008
1,1-Dichloroethylene MR 9 2008
Ethylbenzene MR 9 2008
Consumer Confidence Rule Other 8 2023
Lead and Copper Rule TT 7 2009
Dalapon MR 6 1999
Diquat MR 6 1999
Di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate MR 6 1999
OXAMYL MR 6 1999

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 Crystal Springs Water 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 MT0003986 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 Nitrate-Nitrite MCL 51 SDWIS / MT0003986 / 1038
2023 Consumer Confidence Rule Other 8 SDWIS / MT0003986 / 7000
2020 E. COLI MR 4 SDWIS / MT0003986 / 3014
2014 Lead and Copper Rule MR 186 SDWIS / MT0003986 / 5000
2009 Lead and Copper Rule TT 7 SDWIS / MT0003986 / 5000
2008 Nitrate-Nitrite MR 20 SDWIS / MT0003986 / 1038
2008 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene MR 9 SDWIS / MT0003986 / 2378
2008 cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 9 SDWIS / MT0003986 / 2380
2008 Xylenes, Total MR 9 SDWIS / MT0003986 / 2955
2008 DICHLOROMETHANE MR 9 SDWIS / MT0003986 / 2964
2008 Vinyl chloride MR 9 SDWIS / MT0003986 / 2976
2008 trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene MR 9 SDWIS / MT0003986 / 2979
2008 1,2-Dichloropropane MR 9 SDWIS / MT0003986 / 2983
2008 Trichloroethylene MR 9 SDWIS / MT0003986 / 2984
2008 Benzene MR 9 SDWIS / MT0003986 / 2990

How Crystal Springs Water System Compares

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

Metric Crystal Springs Water System Montana avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 683 131.4 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 58 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 225 492 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 Crystal Springs Water System water safe to drink? ▼
Crystal Springs Water System (PWS ID: MT0003986) has 683 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 225 people using Groundwater sources.
How many people does Crystal Springs Water System serve? ▼
Crystal Springs Water System serves 225 people in Billings, Montana. It is a Local-owned system using Groundwater water sources with 85 service connections.
What type of violations does Crystal Springs Water System have? ▼
Crystal Springs Water System has 683 total violations: 58 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 617 monitoring/reporting violations, and 7 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Crystal Springs Water System water? ▼
No PFAS testing data is available for Crystal Springs Water System under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does Crystal Springs Water System use? ▼
Crystal Springs Water 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.