Montana Tap Water Quality
Check a Montana ZIP Code
Overview
Montana's cities drink well: Bozeman and Missoula use mountain snowmelt and clean valley aquifers, Billings treats Yellowstone River water, and the major systems meet all federal standards. Missoula's aquifer is among the most productive and pristine urban sources in the West.
The state's mining century left its mark: Butte's Berkeley Pit is America's most infamous acid-mine lake (isolated from drinking supplies, but emblematic), and legacy metals affect some streams and private wells near historic districts. Naturally occurring arsenic tracks the Madison and Missouri River systems downstream of Yellowstone's geothermal basins.
Common Contaminants in Montana
Geothermally sourced arsenic in the Madison/Missouri drainage affects some systems and wells; treated where needed
Copper, zinc, and arsenic near historic districts (Butte, Anaconda) affect surface water and some private wells, not compliant public systems
Rural private wells, common across the state, need routine testing
Violations & Compliance
Public-system compliance is solid; most violations are monitoring lapses in very small systems. Superfund work around Butte and Anaconda addresses the mining legacy separately from drinking-water systems.
City Reports for Montana
We haven't published individual city water reports for Montana yet. Use the ZIP lookup for a statewide assessment, and check your utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report for local detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources & References
The safety rating and guidance on this page draw on the following sources. See our full methodology.
- •US EPA Safe Drinking Water Act regulations
- •EWG Tap Water Database
- •The utility's most recent Consumer Confidence Report (CCR)
- •WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality