Public water system · MT0000150
ActiveBig Sandy Town of
At a glance
Town of Big Sandy (PWSID MT0000150) is an active community water system in Chouteau County, Montana. It reports serving 608 people through 372 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2024.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
608
Service connections
372
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Town of Big Sandy compare with other water systems in Chouteau County?
By EPA's size categories, Town of Big Sandy is a small system (501 to 3,300 people). Chouteau County has 12 active public water systems, and Town of Big Sandy is the 2nd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about twice the county average of 288 people per system, and accounts for 18% of the 3,456 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across Montana, the 2,378 active systems average 489 people each. Nationally, the average active community water system reports serving 6,703 people, so Town of Big Sandy is well below that figure.
What does “community water system” mean?
A community water system serves at least 15 connections used by year-round residents, or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents. Homes, apartments and mobile-home parks are served by these. Montana has 853 active community water systems, 36% of the state's 2,378 active systems. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers. 1,994 Montana systems (84%) list groundwater as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Town of Big Sandy?
EPA lists Town of Big Sandy as owned by a local government. The MT state drinking water program is its primacy agency, the regulator with primary enforcement responsibility for the system under the Safe Drinking Water Act. 9 of the 12 active systems in Chouteau County (75%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Town of Big Sandy have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2024. The violations listed here began between July 2006 and July 2024. By type: 10 monitoring and reporting and 2 public notice, recordkeeping or other. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Nitrate-Nitrite (3 of them). EPA lists 12 as resolved. Resolved means at least one resolving action is on record: the system returned to compliance, the rule no longer applies, or no further action was needed.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2024-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitrate-Nitritecode 1038 | No | Resolved |
| 2017-09-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | No | Resolved |
| 2017-09-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | No | Resolved |
| 2017-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitrate-Nitritecode 1038 | No | Resolved |
| 2014-09-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | No | Resolved |
| 2014-09-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | No | Resolved |
| 2014-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorinecode 0999 | No | Resolved |
| 2011-09-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2010-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2008-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitrate-Nitritecode 1038 | No | Resolved |
| 2006-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
The 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, newest first.Labels and codes come from EPA's SDWIS reference tables. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found. "Health-based" marks violations of a legal limit or required treatment.
Town of Big Sandy: frequently asked questions
Who runs Town of Big Sandy?
Town of Big Sandy (PWSID MT0000150) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the MT state drinking water program.
How many people does Town of Big Sandy serve?
Town of Big Sandy reports serving 608 people through 372 service connections in Chouteau County, Montana.
Where does Town of Big Sandy get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as groundwater. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers.
Does Town of Big Sandy have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2024. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found.
Is Town of Big Sandy's water safe to drink?
AquaCensus shows EPA compliance records, not current water test results, so it cannot say whether the water is safe at a given moment. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2024. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the MT state drinking water program.
Where can I find Town of Big Sandy's water quality report?
As a community water system, Town of Big Sandy must deliver an annual water quality report, called a Consumer Confidence Report, to its customers by July 1 each year, covering the previous calendar year. The system can provide a copy on request.
Other water systems in Chouteau County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Benton City of | Chouteau | 1,500 | Community | Groundwater |
| Highwood County Water and Sewer District | Chouteau | 280 | Community | Groundwater |
| Geraldine Town of | Chouteau | 260 | Community | Groundwater |
| Loma County Water District | Chouteau | 200 | Community | Surface water |
| Carter Chouteau Co Water Dist | Chouteau | 150 | Community | Surface water |
| Coal Banks Landing Blm | Chouteau | 120 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
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About this data
Source: U.S. EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and SDWA violation records, via EPA ECHO, as published October 1, 2026 — AquaCensus refreshes it quarterly. See the methodology for how records are matched, cleaned and scored.
Cite as: AquaCensus, “Big Sandy Town of, PWSID MT0000150, Montana”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/montana/big-sandy-town-of-mt0000150 (data as of October 1, 2026).