Council orders RFP after consultant finding: town reservoir may be losing millions of gallons monthly

Stevensville officials voted to issue a request for proposals to perform leak detection and determine repair options for the town’s water storage reservoir after hearing that a monitored drop in tank elevation suggests large losses of treated water.

A 2019 technical memo cited by staff and discussed at the Jan. 9 meeting reported that monitored surface-elevation changes in the town’s 10-foot-diameter concrete storage tank corresponded to an estimated loss “about 4,000,000 gallons of water a month” in the storage facility alone. At the meeting, staff reiterated that figure and said the losses reflect treated water; they recommended an RFP for professional leak detection and remediation options.

Why it matters: Losing treated potable water at that scale affects operating costs, water supply reliability and long-term infrastructure decisions. The town’s service and utility rates, and the urgency of repairs, hinge on the results of targeted leak detection and evaluation of whether the tank can be repaired or replaced.

Council member Smith moved to issue the RFP for reservoir leak detection; the council approved the motion on a recorded vote. Councilors discussed prior work: an HDR study from February 2019 that recommended leak investigation and the town’s recent monitoring that found the tank’s surface elevation dropping when isolated. Staff noted the drop occurred over a span that produced the multi-million-gallon estimate and described it as treated-water loss.

Resident Larry Shaw, who spoke during public comment, urged the council to quantify the dollar cost of the lost water — including treatment chemicals and power — and said those calculations would show a strong financial case to act. Staff and councilors agreed that identifying the leak source quickly would reduce ongoing waste and costs.

Council members said they have reached out to a state contact (Bobby Schuler) about available assistance, and staff said the town would continue coordination while soliciting proposals. The council directed staff to proceed with the RFP and to prepare a scope of work and budget estimate to bring back to council for contract authorization.

Ending: The RFP process will produce proposals that the council will review; if the tank is deemed repairable, staff indicated repair could proceed once a contractor is selected and funding is authorized.