What was found in Polson's water
The level at the city's main supplier, the highest level anywhere in the city, the EPA limit for each, and where every figure comes from.
| Contaminant | Level vs EPA limit | Suppliers | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrate | 4460 µg/L 45% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Main supplier: POLSON CITY OF · 5,300 people · 2019 | 8/11 | SYR4 |
| Nitrate-Nitrite | 4435.5 µg/L 44% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Main supplier: POLSON CITY OF · 5,300 people · 2019 | 10/11 | SYR4 |
| Fluoride | 334 µg/L 8.4% of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L Main supplier: POLSON CITY OF · 5,300 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 870 µg/L — PONDERILLA HILLS LAKE COUNTY WATER SEWER · 35 people · 2012 | 9/11 | SYR4 |
| Barium | 234 µg/L 12% of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L Main supplier: POLSON CITY OF · 5,300 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 360 µg/L — JETTE LAKE LANDOWNERS ASSOCIATION · 295 people · 2019 | 9/11 | SYR4 |
| Copper | 154 µg/L 12% of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L Main supplier: POLSON CITY OF · 5,300 people · 2017
Highest in the city: 322 µg/L — PLEASANT VIEW WATER AND SEWER DISTRICT · 45 people · 2019 | 10/11 | SYR4 |
| Toluene | 20 µg/L 2% of the EPA limit 1000 µg/L Highest in the city: JETTE LAKE LANDOWNERS ASSOCIATION · 295 people · 2019 | 2/11 | SYR4 |
| Combined Uranium | 3 µg/L 10% of the EPA limit 30 µg/L Main supplier: POLSON CITY OF · 5,300 people · 2016
Highest in the city: 16.25 µg/L — JETTE LAKE LANDOWNERS ASSOCIATION · 295 people · 2019 | 8/11 | SYR4 |
| Lead | 11.2 µg/L 75% of the EPA limit 15 µg/L Main supplier: POLSON CITY OF · 5,300 people · 2017 | 8/11 | SYR4 |
| Chromium | 11 µg/L 11% of the EPA limit 100 µg/L Main supplier: POLSON CITY OF · 5,300 people · 2019 | 3/11 | SYR4 |
| Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon And U | 6.865 pCi/L 46% of the EPA limit 15 pCi/L Main supplier: POLSON CITY OF · 5,300 people · 2016
Highest in the city: 9.88 pCi/L — JETTE MEADOWS LAKE CO W AND S DIST · 375 people · 2019 | 7/11 | SYR4 |
| TTHM | 5.35 µg/L 6.7% of the EPA limit 80 µg/L Main supplier: POLSON CITY OF · 5,300 people · 2019 | 3/11 | SYR4 |
| Combined Radium (-226 And -228) | 2.705 pCi/L 54% of the EPA limit 5 pCi/L Main supplier: POLSON CITY OF · 5,300 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 5.3 pCi/L — JETTE MEADOWS LAKE CO W AND S DIST · 375 people · 2019 | 5/11 | SYR4 |
| Chloroform | 2.11 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: POLSON CITY OF · 5,300 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 2.2 µg/L — JETTE LAKE LANDOWNERS ASSOCIATION · 295 people · 2019 | 2/11 | SYR4 |
| Bromodichloromethane | 2.1 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: POLSON CITY OF · 5,300 people · 2019 | 1/11 | SYR4 |
| Arsenic | 1 µg/L 10% of the EPA limit 10 µg/L Main supplier: POLSON CITY OF · 5,300 people · 2019
Highest in the city: 2 µg/L — PLEASANT VIEW WATER AND SEWER DISTRICT · 45 people · 2019 | 3/11 | SYR4 |
| Xylenes, Total | 1.95 µg/L 0% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Main supplier: POLSON CITY OF · 5,300 people · 2019 | 1/11 | SYR4 |
| Dibromochloromethane | 1.73 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: POLSON CITY OF · 5,300 people · 2019 | 1/11 | SYR4 |
| Selenium | 1 µg/L 2% of the EPA limit 50 µg/L Highest in the city: PONDERILLA HILLS LAKE COUNTY WATER SEWER · 35 people · 2012 | 1/11 | SYR4 |
| Bromoform | 0.9520 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: POLSON CITY OF · 5,300 people · 2019 | 1/11 | SYR4 |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | 0.7090 µg/L 1.2% of the EPA limit 60 µg/L Main supplier: POLSON CITY OF · 5,300 people · 2019 | 1/11 | SYR4 |
| Dibromoacetic Acid | 0.5560 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: POLSON CITY OF · 5,300 people · 2019 | 1/11 | SYR4 |
| Monobromoacetic Acid | 0.5000 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: POLSON CITY OF · 5,300 people · 2019 | 1/11 | SYR4 |
| Lead | 0.0020 mg/L 13% of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L Main supplier: POLSON CITY OF · 5,300 people · 2023
Highest in the city: 0.0050 mg/L — PINEWOOD SHORES WUA · 46 people · 2019 | 11/11 | LCR |
Each bar shows the measured level as a share of the EPA limit: green is
well under, amber is close to it, red is over. For lead and copper the
limit applies to exactly the 90th-percentile figure shown, so red there
means a real exceedance. For everything else the limit applies to a
running annual average while the figure is the 95th percentile of the
system's samples — over 100% is worth reading, but is not by itself a
violation.
Formal violations are listed separately.
These are the utilities' own EPA-reported results, not a city-wide
average. A detection means the lab measured the
substance — it isn't the same as exceeding a legal limit. Hover a source
tag to see the EPA program and years behind each figure.
Water suppliers serving Polson
Frequently asked questions about Polson tap water
Is Polson tap water safe to drink?
EPA testing detected 23 contaminants in the water serving Polson. A detection isn't the same as a violation — most detected levels are within federal limits. Check the level and source for each contaminant above, and your utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report for the official compliance status.
How many water suppliers serve Polson?
11 public water suppliers report drinking-water monitoring for Polson, Montana to the EPA. Each is listed above with its population served.
What contaminants are in Polson's water?
The contaminants EPA monitoring detected in Polson include Nitrate, Nitrate-Nitrite, Fluoride, Barium, Copper. The full list, with the level at the main supplier and the data source, is in the table above.
Where does this data come from?
Every figure is official EPA drinking-water monitoring — the Lead & Copper Rule, the UCMR-5 nationwide testing program, and the EPA Six-Year Review — not our own testing. Each number is labelled with its source and period.