Lawmakers hear requests for Montana water and sewer grants as House Bill 11 testimony stretches through dozens of towns

Helena — Lawmakers on Subcommittee F heard testimony from municipal officials across Montana on projects the communities say are urgent and eligible for funding under House Bill 11, the Legislature’s infrastructure package for water and sewer projects.

Representatives of towns and water districts detailed dozens of projects — including tank replacements, sewer main rehabilitation, new wells and lagoon fixes — asking the Legislature to fund gaps in grant and loan packages so projects can proceed without unaffordable utility-rate spikes.

The testimony was wide-ranging in scale and location. Mike Maples, public works director for the City of Red Lodge, told the committee the city seeks $125,000 from the Renewable Resource Grant program and $500,000 from the Montana Coal Endowment Program to repair an aging sewer collection system that the city says contains more than 33,000 lineal feet of mainly vitrified-clay pipe. "Your support of HB 6 and HB 11 will help us hold the line on user rates and develop a project that is needed to protect public health and safety by reducing the potential for exposure to raw sewage or partially treated sewage," Maples said.

Other requests included the Town of White Sulphur Springs’ $1.787 million project to reinstate a…