Public water system · MT0000250
ActiveHinsdale Water Department
At a glance
Hinsdale Water Department (PWSID MT0000250) is an active community water system in Valley County, Montana. It reports serving 250 people through 137 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, 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2026.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
250
Service connections
137
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Hinsdale Water Department compare with other water systems in Valley County?
By EPA's size categories, Hinsdale Water Department is a very small system (500 people or fewer). Valley County has 13 active public water systems, and Hinsdale Water Department is the 5th-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about half of the county average of 466 people per system, and accounts for 4.1% of the 6,060 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 Hinsdale Water Department 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 Hinsdale Water Department?
EPA lists Hinsdale Water Department 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. 8 of the 13 active systems in Valley County (62%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Hinsdale Water Department have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2026. The violations listed here began between October 2015 and January 2026. By type: 4 monitoring, 3 public notice, recordkeeping or other, 3 monitoring and reporting and 2 required treatment not met. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Revised Total Coliform Rule (6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2025-11-11 | Required treatment not metTreatment Technique, Level 1 Assessment (RTCR) · code 2A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | Yes | Unaddressed |
| 2025-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2025-02-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2021-07-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2019-08-20 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Source Water (GWR) · code 34 | E. colicode 3014 | No | Resolved |
| 2018-04-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2017-12-30 | Required treatment not metTreatment Technique, Level 1 Assessment (RTCR) · code 2A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2017-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2017-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitrate-Nitritecode 1038 | No | Resolved |
| 2016-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2015-10-27 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Source Water (GWR) · code 34 | E. colicode 3014 | 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.
Hinsdale Water Department: frequently asked questions
Who runs Hinsdale Water Department?
Hinsdale Water Department (PWSID MT0000250) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the MT state drinking water program.
How many people does Hinsdale Water Department serve?
Hinsdale Water Department reports serving 250 people through 137 service connections in Valley County, Montana.
Where does Hinsdale Water Department 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 Hinsdale Water Department have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 2 are 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 Hinsdale Water Department'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, 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2026. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the MT state drinking water program.
Where can I find Hinsdale Water Department's water quality report?
As a community water system, Hinsdale Water Department 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 Valley County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glasgow City of | Valley | 3,253 | Community | Surface water |
| Fort Peck Rural County Water District | Valley | 663 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| North Valley County Water and Sewer Dist | Valley | 450 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Nashua Town of | Valley | 300 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Vandalia Glasgow West Rest Area | Valley | 250 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Fort Peck Town of | Valley | 240 | Community | Surface water |
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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, “Hinsdale Water Department, PWSID MT0000250, Montana”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/montana/hinsdale-water-department-mt0000250 (data as of October 1, 2026).