A $75 million water treatment facility under construction in Billings’ west end will not be delivering water until May 2027, roughly six months later than originally planned, after electrical supply chain problems pushed back the project’s timeline.
The delay affects one of the most significant infrastructure investments in Billings’ recent history — a $150 million total package that includes the treatment plant, $25 million in underground pipe manufacturing, and $50 million for two new reservoirs to be built on an empty field near the plant site.
A Century-Old System Getting a Modern Replacement
The city’s existing water treatment plant has been in operation for more than 110 years. Construction on the new west end facility began in March 2024, with an original target of fall 2026 for completion and first water delivery. Electrical supply chain constraints disrupted that schedule and moved the delivery window to spring of next year.
Louis Engels, the city’s Water Quality Superintendent, said the project team remains optimistic despite the setback. “We’ll be delivering water spring of 2027 from the treatment plant. We’re really excited,” Engels told KTVQ.
Engels is scheduled to present a full project update to the Billings City Council on August 17.
Reservoirs Add Recreation Potential
Beyond the treatment plant itself, the two planned reservoirs represent a separate and potentially high-profile community asset. The reservoirs are currently targeted to begin storing water by fall 2027, though that timeline could slip to spring 2028 depending on how construction progresses.
The facilities are designed with public recreation in mind, featuring walking paths and opportunities for swimming — a notable amenity in a city where flat-water options are limited. Engels described the potential impact in blunt terms, telling KTVQ, “Having more flat water in Billings will be a huge addition, so we’re excited. It will change the game for us.”
However, the recreational components are not yet fully funded. While the core infrastructure work is budgeted, money for the walking paths, swimming access, and related amenities remains unsecured, meaning the public-facing features of the reservoirs could depend on future funding decisions by the city or outside sources.
Scale of the Investment
The $150 million total project cost breaks down across three main components: the $75 million treatment plant itself, $25 million for underground pipe manufacturing, and $50 million for the two reservoirs. Together, they represent a comprehensive overhaul of water infrastructure for a city that has long relied on aging systems.
Billings is Montana’s largest city, and its water system serves a substantial and growing population on the Yellowstone River corridor. A modern treatment plant in the west end is meant to improve both capacity and reliability for that growth, while the reservoir additions would give the city more flexibility in how it stores and manages its water supply.
What Comes Next
The August 17 City Council presentation will give elected officials and residents a formal look at where the project stands and what the revised timeline means for both the treatment plant and the reservoir work. That meeting will likely set the tone for public discussion about the unfunded recreation components and whether the city pursues additional financing to complete that piece of the vision.
If the May 2027 water delivery date holds, Billings will have a functional new treatment plant online before the reservoirs begin storing water, with full system operation potentially not complete until 2028. City leaders and project managers will be watching electrical procurement and contractor schedules closely in the months ahead to avoid further delays to a project already running behind its original schedule.
Large municipal water infrastructure projects have drawn increased attention across Montana as communities weigh aging systems against the costs of modernization — a challenge Billings is navigating at a scale few other Montana cities have attempted.
