The City of Great Falls experienced a water main break on Sunday, March 23, 2025 near Chowen Springs Park at 801 17th Street South.
In a news release, city officials said that Public Works diverted the water flowing out of the break into Chowen Springs Park, which is a natural storm water detention pond, until repairs could be made. The water main was repaired and operating normally again by 4:30 p.m. on Sunday.
The water main break was discovered at about 1:00 a.m. on Sunday. The water main was turned to low volume in an effort to keep providing residents with water while plans to repair the main break were made for Monday morning.
However, the City began receiving calls at about 7:00 a.m. stating that residents in the area had no water.
Attempts were made to adjust the flow to restore service to the area, but that adjustment could not be accomplished without creating further damage.
A full crew was then called in, underground utility lines were located, and digging began at about 12:00 p.m.
The water main was repaired and water service was restored at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday.
A water main is an underground pipe that delivers water in a service area. If a hole or crack develops in the pipe, the water will typically find its way to the surface. Because the water main is under pressure, water will continue to flow until the break is repaired. Water main breaks usually result from external corrosion of the pipe due to age and corrosive soils.
For any questions about the situation, please contact Jake McKenna at 406-727-8045.
