Public water system · MT0004199
ActiveFortine Mercantile
At a glance
Fortine Mercantile (PWSID MT0004199) is an active transient non-community water system in Lincoln County, Montana. It reports serving 504 people through 1 service connection. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as privately owned. EPA's records list 11 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in January 2026.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
504
Service connections
1
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
TNCWS
Transient non-community water system
System record
How does Fortine Mercantile compare with other water systems in Lincoln County?
By EPA's size categories, Fortine Mercantile is a small system (501 to 3,300 people). Lincoln County has 92 active public water systems, and Fortine Mercantile is the 5th-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 138% above the county average of 212 people per system, and accounts for 2.6% of the 19,484 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 Fortine Mercantile is about 3.5 times 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 Fortine Mercantile?
EPA lists Fortine Mercantile 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. 64 of the 92 active systems in Lincoln County (70%) are also privately owned.
Does Fortine Mercantile have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 11 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in January 2026. The violations listed here began between January 2001 and January 2026. By type: 7 monitoring and reporting and 4 monitoring. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Revised Total Coliform Rule (4 of them). EPA lists 11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2025-04-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2024-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitrate-Nitritecode 1038 | No | Resolved |
| 2018-08-14 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Source Water (GWR) · code 34 | E. colicode 3014 | No | Resolved |
| 2017-07-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2016-11-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Additional Routine (RTCR) · code 3B | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2016-10-22 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Source Water (GWR) · code 34 | E. colicode 3014 | No | Resolved |
| 2001-08-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2001-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2001-05-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2001-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitrate-Nitritecode 1038 | No | Resolved |
All 11 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.
Fortine Mercantile: frequently asked questions
Who runs Fortine Mercantile?
Fortine Mercantile (PWSID MT0004199) is a transient non-community water system privately owned. It is regulated by the MT state drinking water program.
How many people does Fortine Mercantile serve?
Fortine Mercantile reports serving 504 people through 1 service connection in Lincoln County, Montana.
Where does Fortine Mercantile 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 Fortine Mercantile have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 11 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in January 2026. 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 Fortine Mercantile'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. EPA's records list 11 violations for this system; none is health-based, and the most recent began in January 2026. For current results, consult EPA ECHO, or the MT state drinking water program.
Where can I find Fortine Mercantile's water quality report?
The annual Consumer Confidence Report requirement applies to community water systems. Fortine Mercantile 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 Lincoln County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Libby City of | Lincoln | 4,892 | Community | Surface water |
| Troy City of | Lincoln | 2,100 | Community | Groundwater |
| Eureka Town of | Lincoln | 1,995 | Community | Surface water |
| Bears Country Store | Lincoln | 805 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Indian Springs Ranch Sub | Lincoln | 455 | Community | Groundwater |
| Wilderness Club the | Lincoln | 440 | 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, “Fortine Mercantile, PWSID MT0004199, Montana”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/montana/fortine-mercantile-mt0004199 (data as of October 1, 2026).