06/15/2022
Please follow the Gardiner Park County Water & Sewer District page for further updates.
Gardiner Park County Water and Sewer District
430c Main Street
Gardiner, MT 59030
406-848-7734
[email protected]
June 15, 2022
Dear Gardiner Park County Water and Sewer District Customers,
As of yesterday afternoon, the Montana DEQ has downgraded the status of our water quality from “Do not consume the water” to “Boil water advisory”. Please refer to the attached official order from the DEQ (issued the afternoon of June 14, 2022) for more information. Although staff at the District began sampling the morning of June 14, 2022, the DEQ advised the District to wait to complete this work until after the system has stabilized. Waiting to sample will more accurately capture the quality of the water and will eliminate any chance for a false sense of security that could be established by testing too early. Sampling will therefore begin early next week. The boil water advisory will only be lifted once the samples are confirmed to be negative for bacteria and is confirmed to be safe to consume. The DEQ advised that this may not occur until the middle of next week.
The water distribution system lost pressure Monday morning due to a broken water main that crosses under the Yellowstone River between Water Street and Yellowstone Street. Water distribution systems are designed to be operated under constant pressure; the sudden loss of pressure can introduce contaminants to the system. Monday morning, the broken water main was isolated and the system began to regain pressure throughout the rest of the day. Currently, the water system is fully functional despite the broken river crossing. The best way to clear our system of potential contamination is to use the water. Boil the water before consumption (cooking, brushing teeth, drinking, etc.) Do not hesitate to water lawns, do the laundry, wash the car, etc.
It was unclear early Monday morning if the sewer main that crosses the Yellowstone River in the same area had survived. Later in the day it was confirmed the sewer main was intact and continues currently to transmit sewage from the south side of town to our lagoons. The sewer main from Mammoth to Gardiner, which is owned by the National Park Service and is normally collected with the waste from the south side of Gardiner, has been severed.
This community has some really great people to be thankful for. Without the direct assistance received from Derrick Johnston, Dennis McIntosh, JoLynn Sharrow, Bob Kopland, Tyler Shorter, Nick Hepburn, Marty Powel, Laura Gundlach, Doug Chapman, Zabun Burton, and the willingness to pitch in from many others, the water and sewer system would not have recovered so quickly.
Feel free to give me a call if you have further questions.
Thanks,
Josh Wells
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER
Boil Water Advisory
for
Gardiner Park Co Water District
MT0000224
Water System Water may be Contaminated
Our water system is experiencing an emergency situation which could result in contamination of the water supply. This is a precautionary BOIL WATER ADVISORY and as our customers, you have a right to know what happened, what you should do, and what we are doing to correct this situation.
This Boil Water Advisory is precautionary. The town of Gardiner public water supply is experiencing catastrophic flooding. This emergency situation could render the water system susceptible to contamination. Water system personnel are monitoring the situation. Your cooperation is needed. Please adhere to the water restriction guidelines and boil the water before consuming.
What should I do?
• Boil your water.
• People with severely compromised immune systems, infants, and some elderly may be at increased risk. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.
What does this mean?
• As a precaution boil the water before consuming until advised otherwise.
• F***l coliform and E. coli are bacteria whose presence indicates that the water may be contaminated with human or animal wastes. Microbes in these wastes can cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. They may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, and people with severely compromised immune systems.
• The symptoms above are not caused only by organisms in drinking water. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice. People at increased risk should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. Inadequately treated water may contain disease-causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites which can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches.
What is being done?
• Bacteriological samples of the water will be collected as soon as normal operations return. The plan is to sample the beginning of next week (June 20th).
• Personnel are closely monitoring the situation and will update users.
• For more information, please contact Josh Wells at 406-223-4108
• General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.
*Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice.
This notice is being sent to you by Gardiner Park Co Water District
State Water System ID #: MT0000224
Date and Method: 6/14/2022. posting, social media/public place
Distributed:.By: Josh Wells
