Public water system · MT0000343
ActiveThree Forks City of
At a glance
City of Three Forks (PWSID MT0000343) is an active community water system in Gallatin County, Montana. It reports serving 1,900 people through 940 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, one is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2019.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
1,900
Service connections
940
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does City of Three Forks compare with other water systems in Gallatin County?
By EPA's size categories, City of Three Forks is a small system (501 to 3,300 people). Gallatin County has 207 active public water systems. Its population served is about 167% above the county average of 713 people per system, and accounts for 1.3% of the 147,534 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 City of Three Forks 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 City of Three Forks?
EPA lists City of Three Forks 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. 12 of the 207 active systems in Gallatin County (5.8%) are also owned by a local government.
Does City of Three Forks have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, one is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2019. The violations listed here began between January 2002 and July 2019. By type: 10 monitoring and reporting, 1 public notice, recordkeeping or other and 1 contaminant level above the legal limit. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Thallium (2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2019-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Arseniccode 1005 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2005-09-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2003-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitrate-Nitritecode 1038 | No | Resolved |
| 2002-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Thalliumcode 1085 | No | Resolved |
| 2002-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Endrincode 2005 | No | Resolved |
| 2002-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Berylliumcode 1075 | No | Resolved |
| 2002-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalatecode 2039 | No | Resolved |
| 2002-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Thalliumcode 1085 | No | Resolved |
| 2002-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Picloramcode 2040 | No | Resolved |
| 2002-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Hexachlorocyclopentadienecode 2042 | No | Resolved |
| 2002-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Oxamylcode 2036 | 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.
City of Three Forks: frequently asked questions
Who runs City of Three Forks?
City of Three Forks (PWSID MT0000343) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the MT state drinking water program.
How many people does City of Three Forks serve?
City of Three Forks reports serving 1,900 people through 940 service connections in Gallatin County, Montana.
Where does City of Three Forks 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 City of Three Forks have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, one is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2019. 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 City of Three Forks' 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, one is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2019. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the MT state drinking water program.
Where can I find City of Three Forks' water quality report?
As a community water system, City of Three Forks 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 Gallatin County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bozeman City of | Gallatin | 56,000 | Community | Surface water |
| Montana State University Bozeman | Gallatin | 19,200 | Non-transient non-community | Purchased surface water |
| Belgrade City of | Gallatin | 10,460 | Community | Groundwater |
| West Yellowstone Town of | Gallatin | 9,899 | Community | Groundwater |
| North Star Zoot Water | Gallatin | 4,323 | Community | Groundwater |
| River Rock County Water and Sewer Dist | Gallatin | 4,200 | 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, “Three Forks City of, PWSID MT0000343, Montana”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/montana/three-forks-city-of-mt0000343 (data as of October 1, 2026).