Utilities director outlines 50‑year water plan update, survey shows strong support for conservation

Sean Coates, the City of Bozeman utilities director, told the Community Development Board the city is updating its Integrated Water Resources Plan, a 50‑year water‑supply plan first adopted in 2013 that guides capital projects, conservation programs and long‑term water policy.

Coates said the city’s water‑conservation initiatives since 2013 have been significant: "we've reduced our gallons per person per day water use by 25 gallons per person per day," he said, and staff reported the conservation program has saved nearly 1,600 acre‑feet of water to date with a projected additional 1,000 acre‑feet of savings over the next five years.

Coates described other actions the city has taken: acquiring additional shares in Hialeah Reservoir ("we own about 60% of the shares in the reservoir"), implementing two large non‑potable irrigation systems for cemetery and sports park irrigation, and launching a groundwater feasibility analysis because the city currently relies on surface‑water sources for potable use.

He summarized the advisory structure guiding the update: a technical advisory committee and a public advisory committee (including representatives from MSU, Gallatin Watershed Council, Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology, DNRC and local stakeholders) have developed screening criteria that prioritize environmental considerations, followed by technical factors and water yield. The technical committee’s top subcriteria included watershed resiliency, operations and maintenance costs, climate resiliency and preservation of agricultural heritage.

Coates also reported results from a community survey of nearly 700 respondents: more than 90% rated reliable water services as important or very important; about 83% rated responsible growth management as important or very important; irrigation efficiency was a high priority for roughly 70% of respondents. On regional collaboration, responses were mixed: roughly 36% supported pursuing regional collaboration if it ensures reliability even at additional cost, 30% favored collaboration only if it reduced cost or improved efficiency, 22% supported collaboration regardless of cost, and 5% opposed collaboration.

Next steps include narrowing the list of about 40 supply alternatives (groundwater sources, reservoir/dam optimization, import concepts, reuse, water rights strategies and resiliency measures) using the committee’s screening criteria, then conducting additional community engagement (one‑on‑one interviews, open houses and a second survey) before bringing detailed recommendations to the board and City Commission in roughly six to nine months.