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Water Projects
Missoula Water has implemented a water main replacement program to reduce leakage and replace aging water mains. The projects shown here are critical to achieving that goal. In addition to water main projects, the City completes other water system infrastructure projects that keep the system working at an efficient and optimal level of service for our customers.
Cooley-Stoddard Water Main Replacement—Completed
Location: Area along Cooley, Stoddard, Bulwer, and Burton streets on Missoula’s north side
Description: This project will replace approximately 2,600 linear feet of 6-inch invasion steel water main that was installed in 1947. This is very thin-walled steel that is susceptible to corrosion.
The Trinity-Cooley apartment complex is required to replace half of the street adjacent to its project and install a new fire hydrant. This provided the opportunity for Missoula Water to combine the hydrant installation with the main replacement work to take advantage of the already torn-up street. The project was expanded to additional blocks so that we could remove all the invasion steel pipe in this area in a single project.
Bids were opened on January 13, 2022. Three bids were received, and Prospect Construction, Inc. was the lowest bidder with a total bid of $1,019,926.
Benefits: Replacing old water main pipe reduces the amount of water that leaks from the system. This reduces the utility’s energy use and costs by not continually pumping water that leaks from the system before it reaches the customer.
Project Dates: Scheduled to begin on March 21, 2022, with an anticipated completion date of August 29, 2022. These dates are subject to change due to weather conditions and other unforeseen circumstances.
Street Closure Maps by Date:
Project Contact: Andy Schultz, City Engineer for Utilities, 406-552-6758 or SchultzA@ci.missoula.mt.us
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Cooper Street Alley Water Main Replacement Project
Location: The alley between Cooper St. and Toole Ave. from Hawthorn St. to Burns St.
Description: This project will replace a total of 1,250 linear feet of existing 6-inch kalemein water main down five blocks of the Cooper Street alley. This main has a history of leak repairs and needs to be replaced. This is a complicated project in a tight alley with multiple other utilities. A majority of the new water main will be bored.
Bids were opened on November 2. The total bid is $1,013,580.50.
Project Dates: Scheduled to begin on May 2 with completion expected mid-September 2022.
Project Contact: Andy Schultz, City Engineer for Utilities, 406-552-6758 or SchultzA@ci.missoula.mt.us
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Lincoln Hills Water Storage Tank Projects
Location: Two new water storage tanks will be constructed next to the two current water tanks off of Contour Rd. and Lincoln Hills Dr., as shown on the map below.
Description: This project will replace two undersized aging metal tanks up in Lincoln Hills. The Lower Lincoln Hills tank will be a partially buried, cast-in-place concrete tank installed adjacent to the existing tank. The Upper Lincoln Hills tank will be a fully buried, cast-in-place concrete tank and will also be installed next to the existing metal tank.
Crews will begin with the upper tank but will alternate between the two sites as needed during construction to make the best use of their time. There will be periods when the concrete needs to cure, so crews can work on the other tank during this time. Alternating between the two tanks will better help get both tanks installed according to the schedule.
The Public Works & Mobility Department has partnered with Missoula Parks & Recreation’s Conservation Lands staff to ensure that the sites are restored to a natural condition. Before excavation work begins to clear the area where the new upper tank will be installed, P&R staff will collect some of the native plant species and move them to their greenhouse. The plants will be cared for there until the construction work is done, and they can be replanted on areas where vegetation was cleared. Conservation staff have already been working on raising additional native plant species in their greenhouse that will be planted along with the removed plants.
Prospect Construction is the contractor who will be doing the construction.
Benefits: Replacing these tanks was identified as a priority project in our Water Facility Plan because the undersized tanks cause a multitude of issues, especially excessive pump cycling, which leads to pumps and motors wearing out more quickly. The new tanks will also provide more storage capacity for Missoula Water customers and firefighting needs.
Project Dates: Begins April 18 with a scheduled completion date of November 15 for the upper tank and December 1 for the lower tank. These dates are subject to change due to weather and other circumstances.
Project Contact: Andy Schultz, City Engineer for Utilities, 406-552-6758 or SchultzA@ci.missoula.mt.us
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Beckwith Water Main Replacement Project
Location: Beckwith St. between Rollins St. and Woodford Ave.
Description: This project will replace approximately 1,430 linear feet of 6-inch kalamein steel water main that was installed in 1914. This is very thin-walled steel that is susceptible to corrosion and leaking.
Beckwith St. is scheduled to be fully repaved in summer of 2024, so this provided the opportunity for Missoula Water to replace a section of leaking water main before the full repave project.
Because the water main being replaced runs under Stephens Ave., the contractor will bore under Stephens instead of digging up the street, which was fully paved and chip sealed in the last few years. The boring work will take place mostly at night between the hours of 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. to avoid disrupting traffic on this busy street. Details on when this work will take place will be posted on this page once available.
Bids for this project were opened on January 12, 2022. Four bids were received, and 3 Rivers Construction was the lowest bidder with a total bid of $498,802.22.
Benefits: Replacing this section of main will reduce water leakage, improve service reliability, and coordinate maintenance efforts across City departments. Replacing old water main pipe reduces the amount of water that leaks from the system. This reduces the utility’s energy use and costs by not continually pumping water that leaks from the system before it reaches the customer.
Project Dates:
UPDATE: The water main installation work between Woodford Ave. and Stephens Ave. is completed, and all asphalt and striping work is expected to be completed by the end of day on August 23. The section of street between Stephens Ave. and Rollins St. is expected to be paved the week of August 29.
Night work will be needed at the Stephens and Beckwith intersection to make the final main connection. The contractor will contact adjacent properties to let them know when the work will take place, which is expected to be around September 19.
These dates are subject to change due to weather conditions and other unforeseen circumstances.
Street Closure & Detour Maps (pdf)
Project Contact: Adam Marsh, Utility Engineer, 406-529-8835 or MarshA@ci.missoula.mt.us
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Shakespeare St. Water Main Replacement—Completed
Location: Shakespeare St. – Philips St. to Howell St.
Description: This project will replace approximately 685 linear feet of an existing 6-inch kalmein water main that was installed in 1914 in Shakespeare St. from Philips St. to Howell St. Due to its age and material type, this main is classified as a Priority 1 replacement project for Missoula Water.
In addition, the City’s Street Maintenance Division has a mill, pave, and asphalt overlay project planned on Shakespeare St. this summer. The asphalt on Shakespeare St. is in poor condition, and it is the main route for Mountain Line busses to get to the bus depot. After the water main replacement work is completed, Street Maintenance crews will pave the trench and repair the street.
Benefits: It is important to replace aging utility infrastructure ahead of Street Maintenance Division paving maintenance projects to minimize the need to trench into this new surface infrastructure to repair future water main leaks. In addition, replacing old water main pipe reduces the amount of water that leaks from the system. This reduces the utility’s energy use and costs by not continually pumping water that leaks from the system before it reaches the customer.
Project Dates: Scheduled to begin on June 20, with completion anticipated around mid-July 2022. Work will begin at Howell St. and move to the south. Closure of Philips St. is expected June 27 to 30. These dates are subject to change due to weather conditions and other unforeseen circumstances.
Traffic will be detoured around the project site.
Project Contact: Andy Schultz, City Engineer for Utilities, 406-552-6758 or SchultzA@ci.missoula.mt.us
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S. 3rd Street W. Water Main Replacement
Location: S. 3rd St. W.—west of Myrtle St. to Orange St.
Description: This project will replace approximately 3 blocks of old kalmein water main that is prone to leakage. Work will begin at Myrtle St. and move to the west with no more than two blocks closed at a time.
Benefits: Replacing old water main pipe reduces the amount of water that leaks from the system. This also reduces the utility’s energy use and costs by not continually pumping water that leaks from the system before it reaches the customer.
Project Dates: Scheduled to begin July 22 with an anticipated completion date of September 9, 2022. These dates are subject to change due to weather conditions and other unforeseen circumstances.
Project Contact: Andy Schultz, City Engineer for Utilities, 406-552-6758 or SchultzA@ci.missoula.mt.us
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Upper Prospect Water Storage Tank #2 Project
Location: At the top of Pinnacle Place next to the water tank currently in place.
Description: This project will install an additional 150,000-gallon cast-in-place concrete water storage tank at the Upper Prospect tank site.
Traffic Expectations: All streets will be passable—no work will be done in the streets, but there will be an increase in heavy truck traffic. Because the new tank will be poured in place, concrete trucks and other heavy equipment will need to use City streets and an access road to reach the project site.
Benefits: The new tank will complement the existing 150,000-gallon water storage tank already on-site, resulting in a total capacity of 300,000 gallons of water. Both tanks will be fully buried. This project was identified in the Water Facility Plan to add the necessary capacity to meet domestic and fire flow demands. In addition, it will add redundancy to the site, which will allow one of the tanks to be taken offline for maintenance.
Prospect Construction was hired to do the work based on their low bid. They are also constructing the Upper and Lower Lincoln Hills water tanks this summer. Missoula Water is able to save on construction costs by completing the Upper Prospect tank in the same construction season as the other two tanks by keeping crews working for a longer portion of the construction season and by re-using materials, such as the concrete forms.
Project Dates: Scheduled to begin July 11 with an anticipated completion date of November 30, 2022. These dates are subject to change due to weather conditions and other unforeseen circumstances.
Project Contact: Andy Schultz, City Engineer for Utilities, 406-552-6758 or SchultzA@ci.missoula.mt.us
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West Broadway – May St. to Front St. - Water Main Replacement
Location: West Broadway from May Street to Front Street
Description: This project will replace an existing 6-inch cast iron water main from 1937 in W. Broadway. This main is in poor condition, and due to the difficulty of repairing leaks in W. Broadway and the anticipated development in the St. Pat’s and Riverfront Triangle area, this is a top priority Missoula Water project. The project will replace approximately 650 linear feet of water main in W. Broadway from May St. to Front St. It will also extend a main out of W. Broadway and MDT right-of-way, north on McCormick St. for a future connection. New fire hydrants will also be installed at the intersections of May St. and W. Broadway and Front St. and W. Broadway.
Benefits: This main is in poor condition and it is very difficult to do emergency repairs in W. Broadway. It also anticipates the infrastructure needs for redevelopment in the Front St./Riverfront Triangle Area and St. Patrick’s Hospital. In addition, replacing old water main pipe reduces the amount of water that leaks from the system. This reduces the utility’s energy use and costs by not continually pumping water that leaks from the system before it reaches the customer.
Project Dates: Started early July and is expected to be completed around mid-September 2022. These dates are subject to change due to weather conditions and other unforeseen circumstances.
Project Contact: Andy Schultz, City Engineer for Utilities, 406-552-6758 or SchultzA@ci.missoula.mt.us
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Water Line Loan Program
Want to replace your water service line? Here's a link to information on the City's Water Line Loan Program: