Will the City of Bozeman Limit Residential Water Use This Summer?

Drought conditions throughout much of Montana are expected this year. Many towns and cities across the state are asking residents to conserve water this summer.

On Monday, the City of Dillon, Montana announced an ordinance that will limit residential water use beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday, July 1. The new rules will be implemented due to the water supply of Dillon being seriously short for fires, as well as the health and general operational functions of the city.

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Until further notice, it will be unlawful for any person to water lawns, gardens, or use any outside water for any purpose whatsoever, except for when permitted by the city of Dillon. There will be fines for residents that don't follow the ordinance.

We reached out to Melody Mileur, Communications Coordinator for the City of Bozeman to ask if anything similar was planned for Bozeman. She sent us the following information in a press release.

The City of Bozeman Public Works Department and Water Conservation Division are carefully monitoring drought conditions in Bozeman and preparing for the possibility of a declared drought stage. The City has an established Drought Management Plan which outlines four “stages” of drought that can be declared by the City. No official drought stage has been declared at this time.

Bozeman is considered a semi-arid climate and relies on Hyalite Creek, Sourdough Creek, and Lyman Spring for its water supply.  The City’s Water Conservation Division monitors for drought by tracking local data such as streamflow, reservoir volume, and snowpack, as well as national climate data.  Snowpack and streamflow levels in Bozeman’s municipal watershed are currently below normal.

As mentioned above, no official drought stage has been declared in Bozeman, and there are currently no restrictions on residential water use.

Water Conservation Program Manager Jessica Ahlstrom says;

Now is the time to start proactively conserving water. Every drop we save now is a drop available for tomorrow.

The City of Bozeman is asking all residents to do their part. One major thing that residents can do is decrease outdoor water use by reducing watering days and/or watering times on your sprinkler system and avoiding watering during the middle of the day. The city says watering between 4:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.mm is the best time of day to water.

For more information on how you can decrease your water usage, click here.