Public water system · MT0004289
ActiveShepherd Schools
At a glance
Shepherd Schools (PWSID MT0004289) is an active non-transient non-community water system in Yellowstone County, Montana. It reports serving 800 people through 1 service connection. 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, none is health-based, and the most recent began in April 2024.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
800
Service connections
1
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
NTNCWS
Non-transient non-community water system
System record
How does Shepherd Schools compare with other water systems in Yellowstone County?
By EPA's size categories, Shepherd Schools is a small system (501 to 3,300 people). Yellowstone County has 119 active public water systems. Its population served is about 44% below the county average of 1,422 people per system, and accounts for 0.5% of the 169,240 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across Montana, the 2,378 active systems average 489 people each. Nationally, the average active non-transient non-community water system reports serving 430 people, so Shepherd Schools is about 86% above that figure.
What does “non-transient non-community water system” mean?
A non-transient non-community water system regularly serves at least 25 of the same people for more than six months a year, but not where they live. Schools, factories, office buildings and hospitals with their own supply are typical examples. Montana has 319 active non-transient non-community water systems, 13% 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 Shepherd Schools?
EPA lists Shepherd Schools 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. 15 of the 119 active systems in Yellowstone County (13%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Shepherd Schools have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in April 2024. The violations listed here began between October 2008 and April 2024. By type: 11 monitoring and reporting and 1 monitoring. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total trihalomethanes (TTHM) (3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingLead Consumer Notice · code 66 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2024-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitrate-Nitritecode 1038 | No | Resolved |
| 2023-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | No | Resolved |
| 2023-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | No | Resolved |
| 2018-06-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2017-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | No | Resolved |
| 2017-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | No | Resolved |
| 2016-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | No | Resolved |
| 2016-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | No | Resolved |
| 2011-08-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2011-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitrate-Nitritecode 1038 | No | Resolved |
| 2008-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | 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.
Shepherd Schools: frequently asked questions
Who runs Shepherd Schools?
Shepherd Schools (PWSID MT0004289) is a non-transient non-community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the MT state drinking water program.
How many people does Shepherd Schools serve?
Shepherd Schools reports serving 800 people through 1 service connection in Yellowstone County, Montana.
Where does Shepherd Schools 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 Shepherd Schools 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 April 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 Shepherd Schools' 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 April 2024. For current results, consult EPA ECHO, or the MT state drinking water program.
Where can I find Shepherd Schools' water quality report?
The annual Consumer Confidence Report requirement applies to community water systems. Shepherd Schools is a non-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 Yellowstone County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billings City of | Yellowstone | 114,000 | Community | Surface water |
| Billings Heights Co Water Dist of | Yellowstone | 12,000 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Laurel Municipal Water System | Yellowstone | 6,339 | Community | Surface water |
| Lockwood Water and Sewer District | Yellowstone | 5,900 | Community | Surface water |
| Rocky Mountain College | Yellowstone | 5,700 | Non-transient non-community | Purchased surface water |
| Montana State University Billings | Yellowstone | 2,999 | Non-transient non-community | Purchased 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, “Shepherd Schools, PWSID MT0004289, Montana”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/montana/shepherd-schools-mt0004289 (data as of October 1, 2026).