Public water system · MT0004739
ActiveElk Creek Colony
At a glance
Elk Creek Colony (PWSID MT0004739) is an active community water system in Lewis and Clark County, Montana. It reports serving 84 people through 7 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as privately owned. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 7 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2024.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
84
Service connections
7
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Elk Creek Colony compare with other water systems in Lewis and Clark County?
By EPA's size categories, Elk Creek Colony is a very small system (500 people or fewer). Lewis and Clark County has 165 active public water systems. Its population served is well below the county average of 413 people per system, and accounts for 0.1% of the 68,071 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 Elk Creek Colony 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 Elk Creek Colony?
EPA lists Elk Creek Colony 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. 134 of the 165 active systems in Lewis and Clark County (81%) are also privately owned.
Does Elk Creek Colony have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 7 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2024. The violations listed here began between April 2018 and October 2024. By type: 7 contaminant level above the legal limit, 3 monitoring and reporting and 2 public notice, recordkeeping or other. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Nitrate-Nitrite (7 of them). EPA lists 11 as resolved and 1 as unaddressed. 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. Unaddressed means the violation is not resolved or archived and is not yet covered by formal enforcement.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Unaddressed |
| 2021-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2020-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2020-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample · code 01 | Nitrate-Nitritecode 1038 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2020-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample · code 01 | Nitrate-Nitritecode 1038 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2019-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample · code 01 | Nitrate-Nitritecode 1038 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2019-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample · code 01 | Nitrate-Nitritecode 1038 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2019-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample · code 01 | Nitrate-Nitritecode 1038 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2019-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorinecode 0999 | No | Resolved |
| 2018-11-22 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Source Water (GWR) · code 34 | E. colicode 3014 | No | Resolved |
| 2018-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample · code 01 | Nitrate-Nitritecode 1038 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2018-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample · code 01 | Nitrate-Nitritecode 1038 | Yes | 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.
Elk Creek Colony: frequently asked questions
Who runs Elk Creek Colony?
Elk Creek Colony (PWSID MT0004739) is a community water system privately owned. It is regulated by the MT state drinking water program.
How many people does Elk Creek Colony serve?
Elk Creek Colony reports serving 84 people through 7 service connections in Lewis and Clark County, Montana.
Where does Elk Creek Colony 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 Elk Creek Colony have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 7 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 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 Elk Creek Colony'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, 7 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 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 Elk Creek Colony's water quality report?
As a community water system, Elk Creek Colony 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 Lewis and Clark County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helena Water System | Lewis and Clark | 32,091 | Community | Surface water |
| East Helena City of | Lewis and Clark | 2,114 | Community | Groundwater |
| Eastgate Village Sewer and Water | Lewis and Clark | 2,000 | Community | Groundwater |
| Va Medical Center Helena | Lewis and Clark | 1,275 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Helena Leisure LLC | Lewis and Clark | 1,200 | Community | Groundwater |
| Bobs Valley Service Inc. | Lewis and Clark | 1,032 | Non-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, “Elk Creek Colony, PWSID MT0004739, Montana”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/montana/elk-creek-colony-mt0004739 (data as of October 1, 2026).