Lawmakers Hear Testimony on Bills That Would Fund $1.3 Billion in Water, Sewer and Other Infrastructure Projects

In the last 11 years, the city of Havre has had 255 water main breaks. The city’s public works director, Dave Pederson, says 46 of those breaks happened in the last two years alone.

“During main breaks, large sections of the city are without water for a long period of time,” Pederson said. 

Restoring Havre’s water system is at the top of a long list of water, sewer and other infrastructure projects across the state that lawmakers are considering in the 2023 Montana Legislature. Total, there are nine bills introduced so far that ask the state to fund about $1.3 billion to projects. The funding comes from a mix of the general fund, essentially the state’s checkbook, and taking on debt through bonding.