State of Montana Newsroom
DEQ and Montana Resources Sign Consent Order on August Water Incident in Butte
The Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) announced Friday, Feb. 6, an administrative consent order has been signed with Montana Resources (MR) to resolve the water backflow incident that occurred in Butte, Montana last summer. The signed consent order effectively concludes DEQ’s enforcement investigation into the incident.
The consent order documents actions taken by MR since the incident, including MR’s cooperation with DEQ, coordination with Butte, and voluntary payment of $1.2 million to Butte-Silver Bow to enhance backflow prevention within the City’s public water system. In further response to the incident, the consent order also documents steps MR is required to take to obtain DEQ’s approval for a potable water system on the mine property.
Following notification of the incident on August 13, 2025, DEQ worked with Butte-Silver Bow County to issue a Do Not Consumer Order for a portion of municipal residents while water quality testing was performed. Tests confirmed the incident did not contaminate the City’s water supply and the Do Not Consume Order was downgraded to a Health Advisory to a more limited area on August 18, 2025. DEQ removed the Health Advisory on August 25, 2025.