City Commissioners approved a contract amendment for a water treatment plant project during their Nov. 19 meeting.
The city had retained Morrison-Maierle to complete an optimum corrosion control treatment study for the water treatment plant in 2023.
The study determined that adjusting the pH level of finished water and adding orthophosphate would provide the optimized level of corrosion protection required by Montana Department of Environmental Quality against known and unknown lead piping.
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DEQ approved the action in March 2024 and the contract amendment adds scope to Morrison-Maierle’s work to include design, bidding and construction administration for the project.
The city conducted water sampling for lead and copper at targeted sites in June 2023 under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s lead and copper rule that was in effect at the time.
Those June 2023 test results showed a “slight increase in lead leaking into tap water,” which exceeded the acceptable level under DEQ rules, according to city public works.
DEQ notified the city in August 2023 that the lead concentration in the sample wasn’t a violation but that a failure to install optimum corrosion control treatment within 24 months from when DEQ selected the treatment method would be a violation, according to the city.
The city must install the treatment by March 2026.
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“This project is being driven by DEQ and EPA requirements to provide protective scale for corrosion resistance of lead and copper lines within the city,” according to public works. “The solution was selected and prioritized to provide the least fiscal impact and to minimize changes to existing water treatment, while bringing lead concentrations back into optimized compliance under DEQ.”
The budget for the original study was $55,095 and the contract change is an additional $185,375 for the design, bidding and construction administration.
The construction is an estimated $700,000, according to public works.
The project is being funded by the water enterprise fund, which is where user fees for water service are held.
The city is also adjusting to new requirements from the EPA under the revised lead and copper rule.
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The changes include increased water testing and the city must identify the types of water pipes throughout the city.
City staff has been preparing for the federal changes and working on the inventory for several years.
The city posted the inventory of known lead, copper and galvanized water services lines, as well as those that were unknown, with their addresses, on Oct. 16, as required by the EPA.
The city has been using historical records to identify as many service line materials as possible, and sent 10,000 letters to property owners who might have non-copper service lines in the summer of 2022 asking them to do identification tests of their pipes.
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The city adopted rules in the 1960s or 70s that prohibited lead pipes and they can use that documentation to help identify what type of pipes are where in the city.
As of May 2023, the city had identified 14,846 or 67.8 percent lines as non-lead; 142 or 0.6 percent as lead; 502 or 2.3 percent as galvanized; and 6,423 or 29.3 percent as unknown.
Only about 3,000 people had responded to the letters about identifying service lines, James Hewitt of public works told commissioners during their June 2024 work session.
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Staff has been following up with phone calls. Hewitt said in June that they ask homeowners to return the info or staff will go out and help them get the info to identify the line material.
Hewitt said homeowners aren’t returning messages, hanging up on staff or choosing not to participate.
Hewett told commissioners during the June 4 meeting that they’d completed the follow up calls with roughly 7,500 homeowners.
During their Sept. 17 work session, Mark Juras of public works told commissioners that staff has been continuing to follow-up with homeowners and over the winter months will be going door to door in an attempt to collect that information.
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As of Sept. 17, staff had identified the following service lines in the city limits:
- non-lead: 15,664 or 71.9 percent
- lead: 157 or 0.7 percent
- galvanized: 590 or 2.7 percent
- unknown: 5,378 or 24.7 percent
Unknown lines are considered lead until proven otherwise under the EPA regulations.
During that September update to commissioners about the rules and inventory, staff said they’d send notice to property owners with unknown lines within 30 days of the Oct. 16 publishing.
The city mailed about 6,000 letters or notices on Nov. 8 to residents with service lines of non-conforming materials, Juras told The Electric.
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For citizens who receive a notice indicating their services line is of unknown material, staff is asking them to call the city’s Water Service Hotline at 406-455-8401 to speak to staff to get the service line material identified.
As of Nov. 19, the city had received about 200 calls and identified about 50 unknown service lines, Juras told The Electric.
City staff will begin door-to-door inspections in December, visiting addresses that have unknown service lines and will leave a door hanger is no one answers.
