Butte
Butte, MT water profile — supply sources, drought status, wastewater reuse, and the key water issues facing the city.
butte silverbow water dept
surface water (rivers/reservoirs) · local government · PWSID MT0000170
Below EPA's 15 ppb lead action level at last testing.
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) · 2026 Q1
With about 34,190 residents, Butte ranks as the 5th-largest city in Montana and a small but growing city. Water in Butte is sourced chiefly from Missouri River headwaters, snowpack, and aquifers, the backbone of Montana's supply.
The defining water pressure here mirrors the state's: agricultural demand. Irrigation dominates use; shrinking snowpack affects downstream timing across the Missouri basin.
Statewide, Montana recycles about 3% of its wastewater with minimal reuse programs. Locally, Butte faces severe to extreme drought conditions.
The Montana state profile covers the regional supply outlook; the issues below detail what's driving Butte's water future.
Silver Bow County water quality
Source: EPA SDWIS · 2026 Q1
At a glance
- Population ~34,190 (5th-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 Butte?
Butte's largest water system, BUTTE SILVERBOW WATER DEPT, serves about 33,000 people. EPA records show 0 health-based violation(s) since 2016 and a most-recent 90th-percentile lead level of 2 ppb (EPA action level is 15 ppb). Always check your own provider's annual Consumer Confidence Report.
Where does Butte get its water?
BUTTE SILVERBOW WATER DEPT 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