Woodside water project work begins

The Woodside Park subdivision has been granted funds for a new water system and construction is underway after years of planning. Water district general manager Dan Briggs said the system was in bad need of replacement.

"The system was built in 1978. In 1992 there were nine houses on the system. Today there are 42. The park has a capacity limit of 52 maximum," Briggs told the county when he made his pitch for a new water system in August of 2021.

The subdivision sits on 40+ acres, according to Briggs. It is located off Dry Creek Road that runs off of Cherry Creek and Prospect Creek roads. It is surrounded by Stimpson Forest land on two sides and the other two sides are privately owned, according to Briggs. There is one pump house with two pumps that pump from two wells. One well is 129 feet and the other is 131 feet. There is a backup generator outside the well house. "The water source comes from snowpack in the hills and streams," Briggs said.

To help move the process forward, Briggs said he talked with the Department of Environmental Quality in Helena and the Water Court in Bozeman to confirm that the Woodside Park water system did not fall under the tribal water compact regulations. The park does not use water from a major river, according to Briggs.

In November of 2021, the county awarded $59,430 in preliminary funds. In the meantime, one of the pumps stopped working. In January 2022, the county awarded the project $1.3 million and the state matched it to equal $2.6 million for the project. Great West Engineering out of Great Falls was selected by the commissioners to design the system.

In May of this year, the project went out to bid, with Pardee Excavating of Thompson Falls being selected to work on the project. The project consists of water system upgrades to distribution and the wellhouse, installation of approximately 6,400 feet of water mains, a new backup generator and removal and replacement of six hydropneumatics tanks and a new backup generator.

Pardee Excavating began work on installing the new system on July 17. "These guys are moving fast and doing a great job," Briggs said. They have a 100-day contract to be completed in December, with a 30-day extension if necessary, he explained. "The county has been very helpful and easy to work with in getting this project completed. I thank them for their support," Briggs said.