Public water system · MT0002032
ActiveBuffalo Joe'S
At a glance
Buffalo Joe'S (PWSID MT0002032) is an active transient non-community water system in Pondera County, Montana. It reports serving 50 people through 1 service connection. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as privately owned. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in December 2025.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
50
Service connections
1
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
TNCWS
Transient non-community water system
System record
How does Buffalo Joe'S compare with other water systems in Pondera County?
By EPA's size categories, Buffalo Joe'S is a very small system (500 people or fewer). Pondera County has 12 active public water systems. Its population served is well below the county average of 389 people per system, and accounts for 1.1% of the 4,664 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across Montana, the 2,378 active systems average 489 people each. Nationally, the average active transient non-community water system reports serving 144 people, so Buffalo Joe'S is about 65% below that figure.
What does “transient non-community water system” mean?
A transient non-community water system serves places where people do not stay long, such as gas stations and campgrounds, and regularly serves at least 25 people a day for at least 60 days a year. Montana has 1,206 active transient non-community water systems, 51% 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 Buffalo Joe'S?
EPA lists Buffalo Joe'S as privately owned. 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. 7 of the 12 active systems in Pondera County (58%) are also privately owned.
Does Buffalo Joe'S have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in December 2025. The violations listed here began between November 2008 and December 2025. By type: 9 monitoring and reporting and 3 monitoring. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (6 of them). EPA lists 9 as resolved and 3 as archived. 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. Archived means the violation was not marked resolved but is more than five years past the end of the noncompliance period, so it no longer counts toward current compliance status.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-12-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Archived |
| 2024-03-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Archived |
| 2023-11-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Archived |
| 2021-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitrate-Nitritecode 1038 | No | Resolved |
| 2020-08-11 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Source Water (GWR) · code 34 | E. colicode 3014 | No | Resolved |
| 2017-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitrate-Nitritecode 1038 | No | Resolved |
| 2015-02-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2009-03-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2009-02-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2009-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2008-12-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2008-11-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | 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.
Buffalo Joe'S: frequently asked questions
Who runs Buffalo Joe'S?
Buffalo Joe'S (PWSID MT0002032) is a transient non-community water system privately owned. It is regulated by the MT state drinking water program.
How many people does Buffalo Joe'S serve?
Buffalo Joe'S reports serving 50 people through 1 service connection in Pondera County, Montana.
Where does Buffalo Joe'S 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 Buffalo Joe'S 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 December 2025. 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 Buffalo Joe'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 December 2025. For current results, consult EPA ECHO, or the MT state drinking water program.
Where can I find Buffalo Joe'S' water quality report?
The annual Consumer Confidence Report requirement applies to community water systems. Buffalo Joe'S is a transient non-community water system, so it is not required to publish one; like every public water system, it must notify the people it serves about violations under EPA's public notification rules.
Other water systems in Pondera County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conrad Water Dept | Pondera | 2,500 | Community | Surface water |
| Tiber County Water District | Pondera | 750 | Community | Surface water |
| Valier Town of | Pondera | 452 | Community | Groundwater |
| Ncmrwa Pondera Co Service Area | Pondera | 144 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Brady County Water Sewer District | Pondera | 144 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| New Miami Colony | Pondera | 130 | 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, “Buffalo Joe'S, PWSID MT0002032, Montana”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/montana/buffalo-joe-s-mt0002032 (data as of October 1, 2026).