Bozeman, Montana

Environmental Quality Report Card

Bozeman reports good air quality, with AQI levels better than the national average. Water tests indicate concerning conditions across key measures. Facility compliance with environmental standards is above the national average.

Air Quality (Annual Overview)

Grade A
28.5 AQI

Yearly average AQI (2024): 28.5. National average: 41.4. 44 moderate days, 2 unhealthy days recorded.

Water Quality (Key Indicators)

Grade N/A
8.23 pH

Latest pH level (2024): 8.23. Ideal range: 6.5–8.5.

Facility Violations

Grade B
11 significant violations

Facilities like factories and treatment plants had 11 significant and 937 total violations reported in 2024.

Water Quality (with EPA Standards)

Water quality measurements are provided by the Water Quality Portal , a collaboration between the USGS, EPA, and other agencies.

Characteristic Local Value Safe Range Grade Last Measured
Lead 0.00 mg/L <0.015 A 6/10/2024
Zinc 0.01 mg/L <5 A 6/10/2024
Arsenic 0.00 mg/L <0.01 A 10/15/2024
pH 8.23 6.5 - 8.5 A 10/30/2024
Copper 0.00 mg/L <1.3 A 7/16/2024
Ammonia 0.02 mg/L <0.5 A 10/27/2024
Turbidity 1.87 NTU <5 A 8/1/2024

Water Quality (No EPA Standard)

These measurements do not have formal EPA standards but are still important indicators of local water quality.

Characteristic Local Value Unit Last Measured
Total dissolved solids 201.00 mg/L 10/15/2024
Chloride 5.00 mg/L 10/30/2024
Nitrate + Nitrite 0.38 mg/L 10/30/2024
Chromium 0.00 mg/L 6/10/2024
Total Phosphorus, mixed forms 0.02 mg/L 10/30/2024
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 8.35 mg/L 10/30/2024
Potassium 1.70 mg/L 10/15/2024
Alkalinity, total 124.00 mg/L 10/15/2024
Orthophosphate 0.01 mg/L 10/30/2024
Total Nitrogen, mixed forms 0.50 mg/L 10/30/2024
Magnesium 12.50 mg/L 10/15/2024
Sodium 4.80 mg/L 10/15/2024
Dissolved oxygen saturation 84.80 % 8/1/2024
Temperature, water 3.50 deg C 10/30/2024
Specific conductance 5.19 uS/cm 10/30/2024
Fluoride 0.24 mg/L 10/15/2024
Iron 0.03 mg/L 10/15/2024
Hardness, Ca, Mg 155.00 mg/L 10/15/2024
Flow 0.20 ft3/sec 10/30/2024
Organic carbon 1.00 mg/L 10/15/2024
Sulfate 46.50 mg/L 10/15/2024
Cadmium 0.00 mg/L 6/10/2024
Calcium 42.60 mg/L 10/15/2024
Aluminum 0.03 mg/L 10/15/2024
Total suspended solids 26.00 mg/L 10/27/2024
Bicarbonate 121.00 mg/L 10/15/2024
Total volatile solids 7.00 mg/L 7/29/2024
Weight 36.10 g/m2 8/1/2024
Oxidation reduction potential (ORP) 147.90 mV 8/1/2024
Chlorophyll a, corrected for pheophytin 29.20 mg/m2 8/1/2024
Conductivity 429.60 uS/cm 8/1/2024
Sodium adsorption ratio [(Na)/(sq root of 1/2 Ca + Mg)] 0.20 None 10/15/2024
Barometric pressure 655.60 inHg 8/1/2024
Carbonaceous biochemical oxygen demand, standard conditions 2.40 mg/L 7/31/2024
Carbonate 5.10 mg/L 10/15/2024
Phosphorus 0.01 mg/L 2/19/2025

Air Quality Details (2024–2025)

The Air Quality Index (AQI) measures how clean or polluted the air is. A lower AQI means cleaner air. Main pollutants include particulate matter like PM2.5, ozone, and others regulated by EPA standards.
Air quality data sourced from OpenAQ, aggregating official monitoring stations.

Yearly Average AQI National Average AQI Good Days Moderate Days Unhealthy Days Worst Day AQI Top Pollutant
28.5 41.4 308 44 2 149 (on 9/9/2024) PM2.5

Monthly AQI Trend

Monthly average AQI values over the past year. Lower values are better. Peaks may indicate pollution events.

Facility Compliance

Facility compliance and violation data come from the EPA's ECHO database.

3,853 monitored facilities

Total Violations: 937

Significant Violations: 11

Total Penalties: $5,321,138

Despite 11 significant violations, Bozeman reported 937 total violations across monitored facilities in 2024. This results in a compliance grade of B, reflecting strong adherence to environmental standards compared to national benchmarks.

About the Data

This report uses the latest publicly available environmental data:

  • Air Quality: Data sourced from the OpenAQ Platform, aggregating official air quality monitoring stations near Bozeman.
  • Water Quality: Measurements from the Water Quality Portal, a collaboration between the USGS, EPA, and other agencies.
  • Facility Compliance: Sourced from the EPA's ECHO Database, detailing facility violations, penalties, and compliance rates.

All data is refreshed regularly and reflects the latest available figures for 2024.