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Livingston public works details water and sewer projects, wins statewide system award
Summary
City water and sewer staff told the commission they are staffing up, replacing aging mains, commissioning a public bulk-water station and planning lift-station and pipe upgrades; the division was named Montana Rural Water Systems ‘System of the Year.’
The Livingston City Commission heard a detailed update April 7 from the city’s water and sewer division on operations, equipment and near-term projects, and learned the division was named Montana Rural Water Systems’ 2025 “System of the Year.”
Superintendent Ryan Townsen told the commission the division operates six wells, three reservoirs (about 3.09 million gallons of storage), six lift stations and roughly 50 miles of sewer mains with 870 manholes. “We have four certified water operators with the state of Montana,” Townsen said, citing staff certifications and new hires as part of an ongoing effort to fill vacancies.
The presentation covered recent and upcoming work: continued jetting and cleaning of mains, Centennial and Crawford lift-station rehabilitation, the second phase of the INI sewer project (a new 12-inch HDPE main feeding the wastewater plant), commissioning of a public bulk-water station at Bennett and Garnier, and planned conditioning for a potential well number seven near the hospital. Townsen said the department’s fleet recently added a high-capacity jet/back truck and a smaller inspection camera that lets crews survey six-inch clay mains.
Townsen also described recurring operational challenges: blockages caused by improper private taps and wipes/mop heads that damage pumps, and the cost and lead time to replace lift-station equipment. “Pumps can be close to $20,000 a piece,” he said when describing the expense and service disruption when a pump fails.
City staff framed the work as both maintenance-driven and proactive. Townsen said the division aims to jet 10,000 feet of sewer main as a preventive goal and listed capital projects to improve system capacity and resiliency, including the Bennett Street loop to provide redundancy to the hospital feed. He noted the project list was influenced by prior leak-and-loss reductions and by coordination with engineering firm TD&H.
The commission congratulated the crew on their award. Mr. Gager, the city manager, said the recognition reflected recent capital work and ongoing maintenance: the division’s 2024 Capital Improvement projects and operational trends factored into the MRWS selection. Commissioners thanked staff and asked practical follow-ups — where to get bulk-water pricing and how the public will learn about the bulk-water station — and Mr. Gager said the city will publish a press release and plan a ribbon-cutting.
The update concluded with staff outlining near-term procurement and generator/soft-start upgrades to improve reliability and reduce energy demand, and commissioners returned the meeting to the agenda after a short recess.
