Billings
Billings, MT water profile — supply sources, drought status, wastewater reuse, and the key water issues facing the city.
billings city of
surface water (rivers/reservoirs) · local government · PWSID MT0000153
Below EPA's 15 ppb lead action level at last testing.
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) · 2026 Q1
Billings, MT is a mid-sized city, with a population near 110,263 and the largest community in Montana. Like much of Montana, Billings draws its water primarily from Missouri River headwaters, snowpack, and aquifers.
Billings's water outlook is shaped most by agricultural demand — the issue that dominates planning across Montana. Irrigation dominates use; shrinking snowpack affects downstream timing across the Missouri basin.
Billings sits in a state that reuses roughly 3% of treated wastewater (minimal programs) and currently experiences severe to extreme drought.
For the bigger picture, see the Montana state water profile and the related issues below.
Yellowstone County water quality
Source: EPA SDWIS · 2026 Q1
At a glance
- Population ~110,263 (largest in Montana)
- Primary sources: Missouri River headwaters, snowpack, and aquifers
- Drought: severe to extreme conditions
- State reuse rate: ~3% of wastewater
Statewide drought history
% of Montana in severe+ drought (Extreme (D3) now).
Source: U.S. Drought Monitor
Common questions
Is tap water safe in Billings?
Billings's largest water system, BILLINGS CITY OF, serves about 114,000 people. EPA records show 0 health-based violation(s) since 2016 and a most-recent 90th-percentile lead level of 5 ppb (EPA action level is 15 ppb). Always check your own provider's annual Consumer Confidence Report.
Where does Billings get its water?
BILLINGS CITY OF draws primarily from surface water (rivers/reservoirs), part of Montana's supply from Missouri River headwaters, snowpack, aquifers.
Related water issues
Agricultural Demand
Agriculture accounts for the majority of consumptive water use in the West, making farm efficiency and water markets central to any supply solution.
ExploreDrought
Much of the American West is in a multi-decade dry period that researchers describe as the most severe in over a millennium, reshaping how communities plan for water.
Explore