BILLINGS — The $75 million west end water treatment plant is nearing completion and is scheduled to be finished and providing water for Billings residents starting May 2027.
The plant is part of a $150 million infrastructure project, which includes about $25 million in underground pipe manufacturing and about $50 million in two reservoirs that will provide consistent water for the plant.
Click here to learn the latest:
It's been a process for workers to get to this point, with construction beginning in March 2024 originally targeting a completion date in fall of 2026. Delays, caused by electrical supply chain issues, pushed the project back, but Water Quality Superintendent Louis Engels said the facility is getting close to completion and will make a huge difference.
"We'll be delivering water spring of 2027 from the treatment plant," Engels said. "We're really excited."
The new plant will give Billings' current water treatment facility a long-overdue rest. That existing plant has been in operation for more than 110 years.
"The technology has come a long way since then," Engels said.
Engels said the new facility will provide residents with better drinking water and more of it — a critical upgrade as the city continues to grow.
"Having storage helps you balance out those times of having too much water versus too little water," Engels said. "A lack of water rights really just stunts growth."
That storage will come in the form of two reservoirs to be built on a currently empty field near the treatment plant. Engels said the goal is for water to be held in the reservoirs starting in the fall of 2027, though he acknowledged the timeline could shift.
"If things get behind a little bit, it could push into the spring of 2028, but yeah that's the plan," Engels said.
Beyond the water supply benefits, the reservoirs will also become a recreational destination for Billings residents. It will feature walking paths around the water, which residents can swim in.
Funding for the recreation parts of the project are still up in the air and on Aug. 17, Engels is presenting to the Billings City Council to come up with a path forward and funding source.
"A lot of the park and recreational elements, those aren't currently funded," Engels said. "So, we're working with the parks department and potentially other sponsors to, you know, fill out the recreational components."
Engels said the addition of open water in the area would be a significant community asset, offering residents a place to enjoy when the weather is nice while also increasing the city's water supply.
"Having more flat water in Billings will be a huge addition, so we're excited," Engels said. "It will change the game for us."
