Public water system · MT0004858
ActiveNatural Grocers Helena
At a glance
Natural Grocers Helena (PWSID MT0004858) is an active transient non-community water system in Lewis and Clark County, Montana. It reports serving 70 people through 1 service connection. Its primary water source is purchased surface water, 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 February 2026.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
70
Service connections
1
Primary source
SWP
Purchased surface water
System type
TNCWS
Transient non-community water system
System record
How does Natural Grocers Helena compare with other water systems in Lewis and Clark County?
By EPA's size categories, Natural Grocers Helena 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 transient non-community water system reports serving 144 people, so Natural Grocers Helena is about half of 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. Purchased surface water means the system buys surface water from another public water system rather than drawing its own. 212 Montana systems (8.9%) list purchased surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Natural Grocers Helena?
EPA lists Natural Grocers Helena 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 Natural Grocers Helena have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in February 2026. The violations listed here began between April 2016 and February 2026. By type: 11 monitoring and 1 public notice, recordkeeping or other. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Revised Total Coliform Rule (12 of them). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2022-01-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2021-12-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2021-11-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2021-10-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2019-03-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2018-12-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2017-04-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2017-02-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2016-07-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2016-05-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2016-04-02 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherSample Siting Plan Errors (RTCR) · code 5A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | 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.
Natural Grocers Helena: frequently asked questions
Who runs Natural Grocers Helena?
Natural Grocers Helena (PWSID MT0004858) is a transient non-community water system privately owned. It is regulated by the MT state drinking water program.
How many people does Natural Grocers Helena serve?
Natural Grocers Helena reports serving 70 people through 1 service connection in Lewis and Clark County, Montana.
Where does Natural Grocers Helena get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as purchased surface water. Purchased surface water means the system buys surface water from another public water system rather than drawing its own.
Does Natural Grocers Helena 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 February 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 Natural Grocers Helena'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 February 2026. For current results, consult EPA ECHO, or the MT state drinking water program.
Where can I find Natural Grocers Helena's water quality report?
The annual Consumer Confidence Report requirement applies to community water systems. Natural Grocers Helena 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 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, “Natural Grocers Helena, PWSID MT0004858, Montana”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/montana/natural-grocers-helena-mt0004858 (data as of October 1, 2026).