HELENA WATER SYSTEM vs BILLINGS CITY OF
Water quality comparison — risk levels, violations, PFAS records, and contaminants
Quick Answer
Both utilities share the same risk level (safe). HELENA WATER SYSTEM has 0 open health-based violations and 261 PFAS records. BILLINGS CITY OF has 0 open health-based violations and 116 PFAS records.
Montana · MT0000241
No Concerns Detected
Water meets all safety standards with no detected exceedances.
0
Open violations
261
PFAS records
Montana · MT0000153
No Concerns Detected
Water meets all safety standards with no detected exceedances.
0
Open violations
116
PFAS records
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Metric | HELENA WATER SYSTEM | BILLINGS CITY OF |
|---|---|---|
| State | Montana | Montana |
| Risk Level | No Concerns Detected | No Concerns Detected |
| Population Served | 32,091 | 114,000 |
| Open Health Violations | 0 | 0 |
| Total Violations | 7 | 0 |
| PFAS Records | 261 | 116 |
| Ownership | Local | Local |
| Service Type | Surface water | Surface water |
| City Served | Helena | Billings |
Contaminants in Violation Records
HELENA WATER SYSTEM
- Cadmium
- Lead
- Nitrate
- Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
BILLINGS CITY OF
No named contaminants in violation records.
Key Differences
HELENA WATER SYSTEM has 261 PFAS records vs. 116 for BILLINGS CITY OF.
What Should I Do?
If either utility shows open violations or elevated PFAS records, consider:
- Installing a reverse osmosis filter — removes PFAS, lead, arsenic, nitrates, and most heavy metals.
- Requesting your utility’s annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) for the most current test results.
- Ordering a certified lab water test if you want contaminant-specific data for your address.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is safer — HELENA WATER SYSTEM or BILLINGS CITY OF?
Both utilities share the same risk level (safe). Both utilities have similar violation profiles — review the full data above to decide based on specific contaminants that concern you.
What does "open health-based violation" mean?
An open health-based violation means a water system has exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) or failed to meet a treatment technique — and the violation has not yet been resolved. These are the most serious type of water quality violations.
How current is this data?
Violation data comes from EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), which is updated as utilities report. PFAS data comes from EPA's UCMR 5 monitoring (2023–2025). Risk levels are recalculated daily.
What does PWSID mean?
PWSID stands for Public Water System ID — a unique federal identifier assigned to each community water system. You can use it to look up a system in EPA's ECHO database.