At the January 10th Board meeting it was noted that there is nothing more important to Huntley-Yellowstone Water & Sewer District (HYWSD) than providing access to pure, clean water. This basic community need is easy to take for granted, but the reality is that ensuring reliable access to safe water can be a complex, expensive undertaking. Aging infrastructure, new regulations, and escalating expenses can create a precarious budget balancing act.
This is evident by the diligent steps taken by the board members through State Grants and Yellowstone County Commissioners getting approved for a total of ($55,000). After receiving the grant monies, the water district will be employing Great West Engineering to conduct a preliminary engineering report (PER) for planning purposes. This will give HYWSD a list of improvements needed on a priority basis to be made on the aging infrastructure, which was installed in 1966. HYWSD has received $15,000 from the MCEP & DRNC Programs each and $25,000 from the Yellowstone County Commissioners. The board is very appreciative of the help from these agencies.
Discussion of recent meter replacements made mention of successfully installing 144 meters with approximately six remaining. Between fixing a major leak, replacement of aged out meters with Procoder Registers and a much-needed motor replacement for the River Well that ran 24/7 through the summer months, they have made $50,675.00 in improvements.
The Water Depot requires continual maintenance of the property and the water system. Foreign coins and lithium batteries have been discovered disabling the flow. In addition to damage caused by customers, who forget to remove the hose from their tanks and have driven off, causing damage to the system.
And finally, HRDC is taking applications from consumers who may need financial assistance with their water payments. Huntley Water & Sewer District is in compliance with the State of Montana which will continue this service until June of 2023. “If it helps the community, “That’s great!” stated a board member.
The Huntley-Yellowstone Water & Sewer District will be conducting their next meeting on February 14th at 7pm at Yellowstone Valley Electric Cooperative conference room. All are welcome.
