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Community Water System · PWS NV0000169

Montello Water System

Elko, Nevada 89801 - drinking water served from groundwater sources to 287 people, tracked in EPA SDWIS and UCMR5.

287
People served
85
EPA violations
5
Health-based
Untested
UCMR5 result

The verdict

EPA records 85 drinking-water violations at Montello Water System, 6% of them health-based - below the Nevada per-system average.

85
Total EPA violations on record
6%
Health-based (MCL / treatment failure)
287
People served by this system
N/A
PFAS compounds detected (UCMR5)

Water Quality Snapshot: Montello Water System

Montello Water System is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 287 residents in Elko, Nevada (Elko County) through 114 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 85 total violations for this system , of which 5 (6%) are health-based, meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 39 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2022.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Lead and Copper Rule, recorded in 10 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 Nevada, EPA tracks 589 public water systems serving 3,455,285 people, with 56,333 cumulative violations and 6,657 health-based violations on record. About 93% of systems in the state carry at least one violation, and state-wide the average per system is 95.6 violations. Statewide, 50 of 57 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (87.7%).

Montello Water System's 85 violations sit below the Nevada 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
287
Total Violations
85
Health-Based Violations
5
Water Source
Groundwater

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
114
County
Elko
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
4
Monitoring Violations
39
Treatment Tech Violations
1

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Lead and Copper Rule MR 10 2005
Coliform (TCR) MR 10 2006
Revised Total Coliform Rule RPT 10 2022
Nitrate MR 6 2015
Coliform (TCR) MCL 4 2013
Combined Radium (-226 and -228) MR 3 2006
Radium-226 MR 3 2006
Radium-228 MR 3 2006
Combined Uranium MR 3 2006
Chlorine MR 1 2004
Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 1 2000

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 Montello 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 NV0000169 on SDWIS

Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search

State Regulator

Nevada Drinking Water Authority

Nevada'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 NV 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
2022 Revised Total Coliform Rule RPT 10 SDWIS / NV0000169 / 8000
2015 Nitrate MR 6 SDWIS / NV0000169 / 1040
2013 Coliform (TCR) MCL 4 SDWIS / NV0000169 / 3100
2006 Coliform (TCR) MR 10 SDWIS / NV0000169 / 3100
2006 Combined Radium (-226 and -228) MR 3 SDWIS / NV0000169 / 4010
2006 Radium-226 MR 3 SDWIS / NV0000169 / 4020
2006 Radium-228 MR 3 SDWIS / NV0000169 / 4030
2006 Combined Uranium MR 3 SDWIS / NV0000169 / 4006
2005 Lead and Copper Rule MR 10 SDWIS / NV0000169 / 5000
2004 Chlorine MR 1 SDWIS / NV0000169 / 0999
2000 Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 1 SDWIS / NV0000169 / 0200

How Montello Water System Compares

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

Metric Montello Water System Nevada avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 85 95.6 SDWA compliance, any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 5 11.3 Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL
PFAS detection None 87.7% EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt
Population served 287 5,866 Sizing context for compliance burden

Sources: EPA SDWIS and EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (40 CFR Part 141). State averages computed across 589 regulated public water systems in Nevada.

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 Montello Water System water safe to drink? ▼
Montello Water System (PWS ID: NV0000169) has 85 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 287 people using Groundwater sources.
How many people does Montello Water System serve? ▼
Montello Water System serves 287 people in Elko, Nevada. It is a Local-owned system using Groundwater water sources with 114 service connections.
What type of violations does Montello Water System have? ▼
Montello Water System has 85 total violations: 5 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 39 monitoring/reporting violations, and 1 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in Montello Water System water? ▼
No PFAS testing data is available for Montello Water System under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does Montello Water System use? ▼
Montello 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.