Public water system · MT0004542
ActiveGreat Bear Estates
At a glance
Great Bear Estates (PWSID MT0004542) is an active community water system in Flathead County, Montana. It reports serving 32 people through 13 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, none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2022.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
32
Service connections
13
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Great Bear Estates compare with other water systems in Flathead County?
By EPA's size categories, Great Bear Estates is a very small system (500 people or fewer). Flathead County has 327 active public water systems. Its population served is well below the county average of 324 people per system, and accounts for less than 0.1% of the 105,781 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 Great Bear Estates 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 Great Bear Estates?
EPA lists Great Bear Estates 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. 263 of the 327 active systems in Flathead County (80%) are also privately owned.
Does Great Bear Estates 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 2022. The violations listed here began between January 2012 and July 2022. By type: 10 monitoring and reporting and 2 public notice, recordkeeping or other. The contaminants or rules involved are Consumer Confidence Rule, Revised Total Coliform Rule, Total coliform bacteria (TCR) and Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2016-04-02 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherSample Siting Plan Errors (RTCR) · code 5A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2013-03-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2012-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalatecode 2039 | No | Resolved |
| 2012-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Aldicarb sulfonecode 2044 | No | Resolved |
| 2012-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Carbofurancode 2046 | No | Resolved |
| 2012-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Aldicarb sulfoxidecode 2043 | No | Resolved |
| 2012-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | 2,4-Dcode 2105 | No | Resolved |
| 2012-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Oxamylcode 2036 | No | Resolved |
| 2012-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Chlordanecode 2959 | No | Resolved |
| 2012-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Lindane (gamma-BHC)code 2010 | No | Resolved |
| 2012-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Endrincode 2005 | 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.
Great Bear Estates: frequently asked questions
Who runs Great Bear Estates?
Great Bear Estates (PWSID MT0004542) is a community water system privately owned. It is regulated by the MT state drinking water program.
How many people does Great Bear Estates serve?
Great Bear Estates reports serving 32 people through 13 service connections in Flathead County, Montana.
Where does Great Bear Estates 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 Great Bear Estates 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 2022. 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 Great Bear Estates' 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 2022. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the MT state drinking water program.
Where can I find Great Bear Estates' water quality report?
As a community water system, Great Bear Estates 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 Flathead County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalispell Public Works | Flathead | 25,000 | Community | Groundwater |
| Whitefish City of | Flathead | 10,418 | Community | Surface water |
| Flathead County Water and Sewer | Flathead | 7,775 | Community | Groundwater |
| Bigfork County Water and Sewer | Flathead | 6,100 | Community | Groundwater |
| Columbia Falls City of | Flathead | 4,450 | Community | Groundwater |
| Ridge Run | Flathead | 3,500 | 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, “Great Bear Estates, PWSID MT0004542, Montana”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/montana/great-bear-estates-mt0004542 (data as of October 1, 2026).