Public water system · MT0000391
ActiveSurprise Creek Colony
At a glance
Surprise Creek Colony (PWSID MT0000391) is an active community water system in Judith Basin County, Montana. It reports serving 80 people through 16 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 October 2020.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
80
Service connections
16
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Surprise Creek Colony compare with other water systems in Judith Basin County?
By EPA's size categories, Surprise Creek Colony is a very small system (500 people or fewer). Judith Basin County has 8 active public water systems, and Surprise Creek Colony is the 5th-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 40% below the county average of 134 people per system, and accounts for 7.5% of the 1,069 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 Surprise Creek Colony 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 Surprise Creek Colony?
EPA lists Surprise Creek Colony 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. 4 of the 8 active systems in Judith Basin County (50%) are also privately owned.
Does Surprise Creek Colony have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in October 2020. The violations listed here began between July 2007 and October 2020. By type: 9 monitoring and reporting and 3 public notice, recordkeeping or other. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Lead and Copper Rule (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2019-09-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | No | Resolved |
| 2019-09-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | No | Resolved |
| 2019-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2014-12-30 | Monitoring and reportingLead Consumer Notice · code 66 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2014-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2012-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingLead Consumer Notice · code 66 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2011-11-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Repeat Minor (TCR) · code 26 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2009-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorinecode 0999 | No | Resolved |
| 2009-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorinecode 0999 | No | Resolved |
| 2009-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorinecode 0999 | No | Resolved |
| 2007-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | 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.
Surprise Creek Colony: frequently asked questions
Who runs Surprise Creek Colony?
Surprise Creek Colony (PWSID MT0000391) is a community water system privately owned. It is regulated by the MT state drinking water program.
How many people does Surprise Creek Colony serve?
Surprise Creek Colony reports serving 80 people through 16 service connections in Judith Basin County, Montana.
Where does Surprise Creek Colony 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 Surprise Creek Colony 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 October 2020. 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 Surprise Creek Colony'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 October 2020. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the MT state drinking water program.
Where can I find Surprise Creek Colony's water quality report?
As a community water system, Surprise Creek Colony 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 Judith Basin County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stanford Town of | Judith Basin | 425 | Community | Groundwater |
| Hobson School | Judith Basin | 150 | Non-transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Hobson Town of | Judith Basin | 125 | Community | Groundwater |
| Geyser Judith Basin Cty Water Sewer Dist | Judith Basin | 125 | Community | Groundwater |
| Tall Boys Tavern | Judith Basin | 60 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Full Curl Smokers | Judith Basin | 54 | 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, “Surprise Creek Colony, PWSID MT0000391, Montana”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/montana/surprise-creek-colony-mt0000391 (data as of October 1, 2026).