Lead in Montana well water
In Montana, 4% of 6,939 tested private well samples exceeded the EPA limit for lead (15 ug/L).
Lead in well water almost always comes from household plumbing and older fixtures, not the aquifer, and corrosive (low pH) well water makes it worse. There is no safe level for children; it harms brain development.
Check your lead number
Type the value from your lab report. It is compared to the EPA limit, the same way the full interpretation does it.
Test your Montana well for lead
Certified lab analysis of your own tap water, bottles and prepaid return shipping included. The Essential well panel covers arsenic, uranium, nitrate, lead, copper, manganese, iron, sodium and bacteria; radon and PFAS are add-ons.
Order the Tap Score well water test kit, from $209Already tested? Upload the report
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Systems that remove lead
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Some links below are affiliate links. If you buy through one, the merchant pays us a commission at no extra cost to you. It does not change which products we list or what the data says.
For lead
Under-sink reverse osmosis system
under-sink or countertop, about $300
Look for NSF/ANSI 58 certification listing the contaminant you need removed.
For lead
Acid neutralizing filter
whole-house, at the point of entry, about $1,200
Raises pH so plumbing stops leaching lead and copper.
For lead
Aquasana SmartFlow reverse osmosis
under-sink or countertop, about $225
Certified to NSF/ANSI 58 and 53 to reduce arsenic (96%, pentavalent), fluoride (90%), lead (99%), nitrate, nitrite and PFOA/PFOS at the kitchen tap, with a remineralizer.
Rather have it installed and sized for your well? Book a free in-home water test with a licensed local company.
Where to get a well tested for lead in Montana: certified labs, state programs and prices.
By county, from individual samples
Public monitoring samples against the EPA limit (15 ug/L); counties with at least 30 samples.
| County | Above EPA limit | Samples | Detected | Median | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chouteau | 32 | 88% | 0 | 800 ug/L | |
| Jefferson | 252 | 48% | 0 | 244 ug/L | |
| Cascade | 47 | 15% | 0 | 1,400 ug/L | |
| Richland | 56 | 25% | 0 | 1,210 ug/L | |
| Fergus | 78 | 42% | 0 | 200 ug/L | |
| Judith Basin | 66 | 21% | 0 | 400 ug/L | |
| Big Horn | 299 | 58% | 0 | 10,000 ug/L | |
| Rosebud | 2,934 | 20% | 0 | 400 ug/L | |
| Roosevelt | 88 | 9% | 0 | 1,600 ug/L | |
| Beaverhead | 68 | 10% | 0 | 103 ug/L | |
| Blaine | 30 | 43% | 0 | 200 ug/L | |
| Glacier | 69 | 22% | 0 | 100 ug/L | |
| Lewis and Clark | 347 | 35% | 0 | 36.1 ug/L | |
| Powder River | 821 | 13% | 0 | 868 ug/L | |
| McCone | 47 | 26% | 0 | 100 ug/L |
- Boulder CCD, Jefferson County20% of 240
- Stanford CCD, Judith Basin County9% of 32
- Decker CCD, Big Horn County6% of 224
- Fort Peck Reservation CCD, Roosevelt County5% of 86
- Rosebud CCD, Rosebud County5% of 2,845
- Anaconda CCD, Deer Lodge County3% of 39
- Crow Reservation CCD, Big Horn County3% of 39
- Helena CCD, Lewis and Clark County2% of 321
- Hamilton CCD, Ravalli County2% of 47
- Otter CCD, Powder River County2% of 800
- Troy CCD, Lincoln County2% of 48
- Butte-Silver Bow Northwest CCD, Silver Bow County2% of 229
- Hardin CCD, Big Horn County0% of 30
- Lewistown CCD, Fergus County0% of 51
- Warm Springs CCD, Deer Lodge County0% of 83
- Ashland CCD, Rosebud County0% of 69
- Stevensville CCD, Ravalli County0% of 35
- Butte CCD, Silver Bow County0% of 244
- Blackfeet Reservation CCD, Glacier County0% of 49
- Dillon CCD, Beaverhead County0% of 48
Sources
- Individual samples from the USGS Water Quality Portal and state monitoring, summarized per geography. lead counts and shares are listed on each county and town page with their sources.