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Council tables water‑and‑sewer bylaws, reviews emergency water‑system protocol after pump failures
Summary
Council tabled proposed water and sewer committee bylaws for further work on the committee mission and scope and reviewed an emergency protocol to address recent pump failures and aeration problems, including staged booster‑pump restart and hydrant purging procedures.
The Stevensville town council tabled approval of proposed water and sewer committee bylaws to allow clearer language about the committee’s mission and scope. Councilors said the committee should focus on reviewing water and sewer rates, bond obligations and potential recommendations to reduce costs where feasible.
Council and public‑works staff reviewed emergency procedures drafted after recent pump failures that caused air intrusion and cloudy water issues in parts of town (notably Creekside Meadows). Staff described a protocol to respond more quickly in the event of future pump failures: isolate and bring booster pumps back online one at a time, use hydrant flushing and fire‑department outlets to purge air, and coordinate with a contracted well service and testing lab. The plan calls for immediate safety assessments, sampling for coliform/E. coli as needed (24–48 hour turnaround by an RD lab), notification of Montana DEQ for contamination concerns, and an after‑action report to council including affected users and actions taken.
Council asked staff to place the bylaws back on a future committee agenda with clearer mission language and asked public works to finalize the emergency protocol and implement the public communications steps (including website flushing guidance) and sampling/reporting requirements. Staff noted that utilities staff will continue to refine the plan and provide the council with a written emergency procedure and recommendations for customer notices and sampling.
