Historical Compliance Records MT

City of Columbia Falls

EPA ID: MT0000181 ยท 4,450 people served ยท 2 ZIP codes

ZipCheckup's reading of EPA records for City of Columbia Falls (MT0000181): 23 violations on record since 2021. City of Columbia Falls's EPA record lists 23 historical violations, and none is listed as open in that record; the utility supplies water to 4,450 residents.

Data: EPA SDWIS

C ยท 59
Avg Safety Score
4,450
People Served
2
ZIP Codes Served
23
Violations (since 2021)
Groundwater
Water Source
0.004 mg/L
Most recent lead 90th percentile on record (monitoring period ending 2024-12-31)
Zone 1
County Radon Potential ยท High
23
Contaminants Flagged
$428K
Median Home Value in ZIP Codes Served

Service Area Map

Coverage area for City of Columbia Falls Source: EPA SDWIS service area boundaries.

Service area boundary - average Home Safety grade of mapped ZIPs: C

Demographics of ZIP Codes Served

$71,953
Median Household Income
77,455
Population of ZIP Codes Served (Census)
37%
Disadvantaged Population
50th
Poverty Percentile
60th
Energy Burden Percentile
46%
Pre-1986 Housing

The ZIP codes associated with City of Columbia Falls have a median household income of $71,953 and about 77,455 residents live in those ZIP codes (Census; not the number of people this system supplies). Approximately 46% of housing stock was built before 1986, which increases the likelihood of lead service lines and older plumbing.

Environmental Justice Note: On average, 37% of census tracts in the counties mapped to this service area are designated disadvantaged by the federal Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST, 2022 version). Communities with higher disadvantaged populations often face disproportionate environmental and health burdens, including aging water infrastructure and limited resources for remediation.

๐Ÿ’ง Where Does Your Water Come From?

Groundwater

City of Columbia Falls's water is classified in EPA records as a groundwater source. Groundwater is naturally filtered through rock and soil, but it can be vulnerable to PFAS contamination, nitrates from agriculture, and industrial chemicals that seep into the water table.

Elevated Risk
Source Contamination Risk
10th
Wastewater Discharge Proximity
50th
Superfund Site Proximity

Infrastructure Risk

45 yr
Estimated pipe age (modeled from housing age)
Copper
Likely pipe material (modeled)
26 yr
Est. Remaining Life
Stable
Decay Status
Installed 63% of expected lifespan used (estimate) End of life

PFAS in ZIP Codes This System Serves

PFAS ("forever chemicals") have been reported in samples from water systems associated with the ZIP codes in this system's area. These results can come from other water systems serving the same ZIP codes; check the UCMR5 section for any results reported for this system. 2 detections recorded. 1 detection is above the level of a federal PFAS MCL (4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS), with compliance required from 2029.

Health concern: Exposure to certain PFAS has been associated with some cancers and with immune and developmental effects; effects differ by compound. Many PFAS break down very slowly in the environment.
Recommended filter: An activated carbon filter certified under NSF/ANSI 53 or a reverse osmosis system certified under NSF/ANSI 58 for the PFAS listed in its certification. Find the right filter โ†’

Comparable Water Systems

Similar-sized systems in Montana

North Star Zoot Water
4,323 people
0 violations
City of Dillon
4,300 people
C 0 violations
7 violations
C 1 violation
City of Glendive
4,873 people
C 1 violation

Estimated Remediation Costs

Average estimated costs across ZIP codes served by this system

PFAS Treatment Water Filtration
PFAS Treatment $500
Water Filtration $300
Total Estimated Cost $800

Based on national averages for common remediation projects. Actual costs vary by property. Only issues flagged by EPA, FEMA, or state data for each ZIP code are included.

Cost of Inaction

Illustrative per-household cost scenario based on stated assumptions:

Estimated Healthcare Costs $1,500

Annual per household (ZipCheckup estimate)

PFAS Exposure - Lifetime Cost $1,000

Per person (emerging research est.)

Estimated Cumulative Cost Per Household

5 years
$7,665
10 years
$15,330
20 years
$30,660

Compare: Estimated remediation cost is $800 (one-time) vs. $15,330 in estimated inaction costs over 10 years.

Individual costs vary by household size, property, and health factors. These estimates are for awareness, not financial advice.

System Overview

City of Columbia Falls (EPA ID: MT0000181) is a community water system in Montana that serves approximately 4,450 people from groundwater sources.

This system provides water to 2 ZIP codes across 2 communities.

ZIP-Area Home Safety Context: C (59/100)

This is the average Home Safety Score for 1 of 2 service-area ZIP codes with all required score domains observed. It is not a grade for the water utility.

Model 4.0.0 uses SDWIS identity plus accepted ECHO SDWA lifecycle-based water compliance, the UCMR 5 PFAS MCL screen, EPA radon zone, and annual EPA AirData AQI across three equally weighted domains. Missing required evidence suppresses the score.

Violation History

No current noncompliance in the accepted 2026Q2 snapshot. The 23 records in the 2021-2026 window are classified as resolved or archived, not current.

Status breakdown for accepted records with record years 2021-2026: 23 resolved, 0 archived, 0 addressed, and 0 unaddressed. Under this source contract, current noncompliance is the sum of addressed and unaddressed records. Archived and resolved records are excluded from current noncompliance.

Recent Violations

Date Contaminant Type Status
July 1, 2022 Endrin Non-health-based Resolved
July 1, 2022 BHC-GAMMA Non-health-based Resolved
July 1, 2022 Methoxychlor Non-health-based Resolved
July 1, 2022 Toxaphene Non-health-based Resolved
July 1, 2022 Dalapon Non-health-based Resolved
July 1, 2022 Di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate Non-health-based Resolved
July 1, 2022 OXAMYL Non-health-based Resolved
July 1, 2022 Simazine Non-health-based Resolved
July 1, 2022 Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate Non-health-based Resolved
July 1, 2022 Picloram Non-health-based Resolved
July 1, 2022 Dinoseb Non-health-based Resolved
July 1, 2022 Hexachlorocyclopentadiene Non-health-based Resolved
July 1, 2022 Carbofuran Non-health-based Resolved
July 1, 2022 Atrazine Non-health-based Resolved
July 1, 2022 LASSO Non-health-based Resolved
July 1, 2022 Heptachlor Non-health-based Resolved
July 1, 2022 Heptachlor epoxide Non-health-based Resolved
July 1, 2022 2,4-D Non-health-based Resolved
July 1, 2022 2,4,5-TP Non-health-based Resolved
July 1, 2022 HEXACHLOROBENZENE Non-health-based Resolved

Contaminants Detected

The following contaminants have been flagged in EPA records for this water system:

Contaminant Category Violations Health-Based
Endrin Other Violation 1 No
BHC-GAMMA Other Violation 1 No
Methoxychlor Other Violation 1 No
Toxaphene Other Violation 1 No
Dalapon Other Violation 1 No
Di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate Other Violation 1 No
OXAMYL Other Violation 1 No
Simazine Other Violation 1 No
Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate Monitoring & Reporting 1 No
Picloram Other Violation 1 No
Dinoseb Other Violation 1 No
Hexachlorocyclopentadiene Other Violation 1 No
Carbofuran Other Violation 1 No
Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate Monitoring & Reporting 1 No
LASSO Other Violation 1 No

Lead & Copper

EPA Lead and Copper Rule evidence attributed directly to this water system:

Lead Level Exceeds Action Level Sample Date
0.004 mg/L No 2024-12-31

No copper action-level exceedance record appears for this PWSID in the accepted LCR snapshot. This does not establish a clean copper measurement.

Radon Risk in Service Area

2 of 2 ZIP records with known zones are in EPA Radon Zone 1.

The EPA recommends testing all homes regardless of radon zone. County radon zones cannot replace an in-home radon test.

ZIP Codes Served

Coverage: Service area ZIP codes sourced from EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3 (March 2026 release). These ZIPs reflect the actual deployment footprint recorded by MT or modeled from parcel and building-footprint data.

Data Sources

This report uses public data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). View available EPA compliance records for City of Columbia Falls (MT0000181) on EPA.gov.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is City of Columbia Falls water safe to drink?

The accepted 2026Q2 ECHO snapshot shows no current noncompliance for City of Columbia Falls; its 23 accepted 2021-2026 records are resolved or archived. Historical compliance status does not establish conditions at a specific tap.

How many people does City of Columbia Falls serve?

City of Columbia Falls serves approximately 4,450 people across 2 ZIP codes in Montana.

Where does City of Columbia Falls get its water?

The primary water source is groundwater.

Federal UCMR5 PFAS Monitoring: No PFAS Reported Above Reporting Levels

This water system was tested under the federal EPA Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR5). No PFAS compounds were reported above UCMR5 minimum reporting levels.

Samples collected
58

EPA's April 2024 PFAS rule sets MCLs of 4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS and 10 ppt for PFHxS, PFNA and HFPO-DA (GenX); water systems must comply from 2029. Other PFAS compounds have no individual federal MCL. A state standard is shown only where this system's state has its own enforceable PFAS limit. Detection results are EPA UCMR5 samples, not a measurement at your tap.

Source: U.S. EPA UCMR5 (Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, 5th cycle) โ€” per-system federal sampling, 2023โ€“2025. EPA UCMR5 monitoring program โ†’

Understand PFAS health context and filtration โ†’

How Water Systems Appear in Rankings

Water systems are evaluated by violation history, contaminant detections, and service population. Larger systems with more service connections appear in more rankings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is water from City of Columbia Falls safe to drink? ▼
City of Columbia Falls has 23 recorded violations since 2021. The C shown is a ZIP-area score, not a grade for this utility; see the violation table for what was violated.
Should I use a water filter? ▼
Given 23 recorded violations, review the violation types and dates; a filter certified for a specific contaminant of concern can reduce that contaminant at the tap. Monitoring or reporting violations are not something a filter addresses.
How many people does City of Columbia Falls serve? ▼
City of Columbia Falls serves approximately 4,450 people with drinking water across 2 ZIP codes.
What is City of Columbia Falls's water source? ▼
City of Columbia Falls draws water from groundwater sources. Source type affects which contaminants are most likely to be present.
Is there lead in City of Columbia Falls's water? ▼
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result on record is 0.004 mg/L (sample period ending 2024-12-31). This is at or below the EPA lead action level, which triggers system action and is not a safe level; the EPA health goal for lead is zero.
What is the demographic profile of the ZIP codes associated with City of Columbia Falls? ▼
The ZIP codes mapped to City of Columbia Falls have a median household income of $71,953 (Census ZIP-code estimate). In CEJST data, 37% of census tracts in the counties mapped to this area are designated disadvantaged (average across mapped ZIP codes), which may indicate greater vulnerability to environmental health risks.
Where does City of Columbia Falls get its water? ▼
City of Columbia Falls's water is classified in EPA records as a groundwater source. Groundwater is naturally filtered through rock and soil, but it can be vulnerable to PFAS contamination, nitrates from agriculture, and industrial chemicals that seep into the water table. The available violation history and environmental indicators place this system in the elevated review category; they do not measure current source contamination.

How to cite this page

APA ZipCheckup. (n.d.). City of Columbia Falls (MT): 23 EPA Violations. https://zipcheckup.com/water-system/mt0000181/
BibTeX
@misc{zipcheckup-water-system-mt0000181,
  author = {{ZipCheckup}},
  title  = {{City of Columbia Falls (MT): 23 EPA Violations}},
  year   = {n.d.},
  url    = {https://zipcheckup.com/water-system/mt0000181/}
}

What You Can Do

1

Test your water

Home test kits can detect lead, bacteria, and other contaminants at your tap. Find the right filter โ†’

2

Check your specific ZIP code

Water quality can vary within a system. View nearest ZIP report โ†’

3

Contact your utility

City of Columbia Falls (EPA ID: MT0000181) - request the latest Consumer Confidence Report or ask about specific contaminants.

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