Weekly Community Update

Thank you to everyone who joined us at the Senior Center on Thursday, September 10th, for our informational meeting about the water pump situation. We appreciate your participation and the thoughtful questions you brought forward. We hope the discussion helped clarify the situation and address your concerns.

During the meeting, we also showcased our new water monitoring system and its public webpage. You can check it out at water.duttonmt.gov.

On Monday, September 14th, we held our regular Council meeting and annual budget hearing. We were pleased to see more residents attend and take part in the discussions.

Community input makes a difference. Hearing your ideas, questions, and concerns before the Council makes decisions helps us better understand what matters to residents and gives us an opportunity to address questions along the way. These conversations help us make more informed decisions for our community.

To everyone who attended either meeting, thank you sincerely for your time and involvement. We encourage you to keep coming back, stay engaged, and take part in the process. Your voice matters, and we appreciate the opportunity to work together for the good of the entire community!

Water Pump Emergency Update — Wednesday, September 9, 2026

There is no new information to report at this time regarding the ongoing water pump emergency. The pumps have been ordered, and we remain in a holding pattern while we await further updates. More lead samples headed to the lab on Tuesday, 9/8/26 so we should hear back on those by the end of the week and either the issue will be cleared or we will know more about what other testing we need to do and actions needed. We anticipate that the violation will be cleared.

Everyone is invited to a public information meeting on Thursday, September 10, 2026, at the Dutton Senior Center on Main Street.

Thank you for your continued patience and understanding. We will share additional information as it becomes available.

DRINKING WATER WARNING

We Found Elevated Levels of Lead in One of Our Samples

During routine testing we found elevated levels of lead in the drinking water at one of the 5 locations tested. The Town of Dutton may also have tested your home or building. If they did, you should receive or may have already received these results. These results are specific to your home/building and may be different from the results taken in other locations. Lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Please read this information closely to see what you can do to reduce lead in your drinking water.

What is an Action Level?

The lead action level is a measure of the effectiveness of the corrosion control treatment in water systems. The action level is not a standard for establishing a safe level of lead in a home. To check if corrosion control is working, EPA requires water systems to test for lead at the tap in certain homes, including those with lead

service lines. Systems compare sample results from homes to EPA’s action level of 0.015 mg/L (15 ppb). If 10 percent of the samples from these homes have water concentrations that are greater than the action level, then the system must perform actions such as public education, adjusting treatment, and lead service line replacement.

What Happened?

Between 09/2022 and 08/2026 we collected 5 samples and analyzed them for lead. The results of more than 10 percent (one of the 5 homes tested) of our samples exceeded the action level for lead.

The Town of Dutton is focused on protecting the health of every household in our community; however, lead from service lines and lead plumbing and fixtures can dissolve or break off into water and end up at the faucet. We found that an old bathroom faucet is the potential source of lead in your drinking water. This does not mean that every property that receives drinking water from The Town of Dutton has lead in the drinking water. It does mean that you should understand how to reduce your exposure to lead through water. Keep in mind that drinking water is not the only potential source of lead exposure, since lead can be found in air, soil, and paint. For more information on all sources of lead, visit https://www.epa.gov/lead.

Health Effects of Lead

*Exposure to lead in drinking water can cause serious health effects in all age groups. Infants and children can have decreases in IQ and attention span. Lead exposure can lead to new learning and behavior problems or exacerbate existing learning and behavior problems. The children of women who are exposed to lead before or during pregnancy can have increased risk of these adverse health effects. Adults can have increased risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney, or nervous system problems.*


Steps You Can Take to Reduce Your Exposure to Lead in Your Water

Below are recommended actions that you may take, separately or in combination, if you are concerned about lead in your drinking water. The list also includes where you may find more information and is not intended to be a complete list or to imply that all actions equally reduce lead from drinking water.

•          Use your filter properly. Using a filter can reduce lead in drinking water. If you use a filter, it should be certified to remove lead. Read any directions provided with the filter to learn how to properly install, maintain, and use your cartridge and when to replace it. Using the cartridge after it has expired can make it less effective at removing lead. Do not run hot water through the filter. For more information on facts and advice on home water filtration systems, visit EPA’s website at https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/home-drinking-water-filtration-fact-sheet and EPA’s Consumer Tool for Identifying Drinking Water Filters Certified to Reduce Lead.

•          Clean your aerator. Regularly remove and clean your faucet’s screen (also known as an aerator). Sediment, debris, and lead particles can collect in your aerator. If lead particles are caught in the aerator, lead can get into your water.

•          Use cold water. Do not use hot water from the tap for drinking, cooking, or making baby formula as lead dissolves more easily into hot water. Boiling water does not remove lead from water.

Alternate Sources of Water

At this time, we do not believe there to be a hazard to the entire community based off the facts that we have never before had a test in this system come back over the maximum contamination level, and that 3 of the 5 samples taken had no lead detected at all, 1 had trace amounts well below the MCL, with just one house that was high. That same house that tested high tested not detectable in 2022. The home owner reports that the only thing different from that test to this one was the faucet used to take the sample and the faucet used this time is super old.

For these reasons the Town of Dutton is not providing alternative sources of water. However, if you feel more comfortable, we recommend you decide based on that and not anything else.

The only recommendation we have currently concerning alternative sourced water is that it meets U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and any state bottled water safety standards.

If you are using filters, the EPA recommends that you ensure they are third-party certified to remove lead by referring to EPA’s Consumer Tool for Identifying POU Filters Certified to Remove Lead and reading the filter packaging.

Get Your Child Tested to Determine Lead Levels in His or Her Blood If You Have Reason To Suspect You May Have A Heightened Risk For Lead in Your Home Such As Old Copper Plumbing From The Lead Solder Erra or Faucets Made Pre-1986 When They Banned Lead In Plumbing Manufacturing.

A family doctor or pediatrician can perform a blood test for lead and provide information about the health effects of lead. State, city, or county departments of health can also provide information about how you can have your child's blood tested for lead. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that public health actions be initiated when the level of lead in a child’s blood is 3.5 micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL) or more. For more information and links to CDC’s website, please visit https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/basic-information-about-lead-drinking-water.


What is Being Done?

The Town of Dutton is in in contact and working in close conjunction with the Department of Environmental Quality. We have always had a great working relationship with them and over the next weeks we will be testing and investigating further.

We are working with Mr. Matt Shmidt with MTDEQ to resolve this as quickly as possible to ensure our water is safe for everyone in our community. Mr. Shmidt said he would gladly answer any questions you may have if you would like to know more about the process or level of likely exposure risk.  You may reach him at the MTDEQ public number 406-444-6652 and ask for Matt Shmidt.

For more information, please contact Jeremiah Kjensmo at the Town Office at 406-476-3311, stop in at 11 Main St. W at the firehall, or email us at townofdutton@duttonmt.gov. We will also be posting this notice along with updates on our website https://townofdutton.com/information.

General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk from lead in drinking water are available from EPA’s website https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/basic-information-about-lead-drinking-water.

*Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail. *

This notice is being sent to you by the Town of Dutton,

State Public Water System (PWS) ID#: MT0000204

Date distributed: 8/26/2026

 

Weekly Water Pump Project Update - August 20, 2026

Work continues with our engineers to identify funding sources and secure the new pumps as quickly as possible.

The Town has submitted a grant application requesting $30,000 toward the project. We have not yet received a decision, but we will share an update as soon as one becomes available.

We are also coordinating schedules for a public informational meeting and Q&A session. Once a date is confirmed that allows all Council members to attend, we will provide at least one week’s notice. Meeting details will be posted on the Town website and on flyers throughout town.

Please continue to conserve water. The only outdoor watering currently permitted is watering gardens and flowers by hand. Sprinklers and automatic sprinkler systems are not allowed at this time.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation. We will continue to keep the community informed as the project moves forward.

Water System Update — August 12, 2026

On Tuesday, August 11, at 4:30 p.m., the Dutton Town Council held an emergency meeting and adopted a resolution officially declaring the failure of our water pumps an emergency.

This declaration serves two important purposes. First, it gives Mayor Fleshman the authority to pursue emergency funding and procurement without waiting through the normal bidding, proposal, and award process. That process could add approximately six weeks before the pumps could even be ordered—and the pumps currently identified already have an estimated 13-week build and delivery time.

Second, the resolution provides a clear instrument to express the gravity of the situation when seeking emergency funding assistance from the State or other outside agencies. A grant application has been signed, and we are now waiting to hear from engineers and funding representatives as we work to understand the available options and the road ahead.

To be clear, the Council has not yet authorized the purchase of the pumps, and funding has not yet been secured. Peak Water—the vendor that was able to diagnose and document the problem—has provided a current quote of $81,516.26 for the pumps alone. That amount does not include removing the existing pumps or installing the replacements.

This is the only confirmed replacement option we have found so far, but we are continuing to search for anything that could provide a faster solution. We do not yet know whether another option is available, how quickly it could be delivered, or whether it would cost more or less.

Tuesday’s meeting was not intended to be an informational hearing or public question-and-answer session. The emergency resolution was the only item on the agenda. If the meeting occurred before you were able to leave work, please know that you did not miss any intended broader presentation or discussion. We will schedule a public information and Q&A meeting once we have received more information from the engineers and funding agencies and can give residents a clearer picture of the path forward.

Current water situation

At this time, there is water in the storage tank, and the pumps are continuing to operate. However, they cannot pump at a rate that supports unrestricted water use.

Residents may hand-water gardens, flowers, and similar plants. There are no designated watering days or hours, but please do not water lawns or use sprinklers. We know it is disappointing to let a lawn go dormant, but it should recover when conditions improve. For this summer, maintaining a safe water supply for the entire community has to come first.

Your conservation efforts are making a real difference. They have helped us fill and maintain the tank so we can continue providing household water, keep the wastewater system operating, and preserve water for fire suppression. Please continue conserving wherever you reasonably can.

Questions, concerns, and accurate information

We agree completely that residents deserve answers. We want you to have the most complete and honest information available—including an honest acknowledgment when something remains unknown or undetermined.

We also need to address the rumors and speculation circulating on social media. The Town Information page and direct communication with the Town Office are the reliable sources for information about this situation. Conversations built around assumptions, personal agendas, or hostility toward Town employees do not produce answers or move the project forward.

Our staff consists of only three employees and Mayor Fleshman. They are working through a serious infrastructure emergency while continuing to keep Dutton’s essential services running. Questions and scrutiny are entirely appropriate; personal attacks and treating staff as targets are not. That behavior takes a real toll on the very small group of people working to solve the problem, and losing even one or two of them would make an already difficult situation substantially worse.

Please ask us your questions directly. We cannot address concerns that are never brought to us, and answers are unlikely to be found in a hostile Facebook conversation. If we know the answer, we will share it. If we do not know yet, we will tell you that honestly and explain what we are doing to find out.

The Town Office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.:

Town of Dutton
11 Main Street West
406-476-3311
townofdutton@duttonmt.gov

This is a serious problem, but it is not the first and I’m sure it won’t be the last major challenge our water system has faced. Unexpected problems happen in every aspect of life and every business that’s ever existed. We will work on it until it is resolved and move on to the next thing that needs our attention. That is the job, that is why water operators have continuing education, and that’s what we are here for. Many past emergencies have gone largely unnoticed because Town staff handled them as they arose and found solutions before most residents were affected. That is not a lack of transparency—it is the daily work of keeping essential services operating.

We publish meeting agendas showing what will be discussed or decided, announce significant problems, and post updates here so residents have one consistent place to find reliable information.

Thank you for conserving water, asking thoughtful questions, and showing patience and kindness to the people working through this emergency. This is a difficult situation, but we will continue facing it honestly, responsibly, and together—like we always have, as a community.

Water System Update 8/5/2026

We would like to take a moment to provide the community with an update on the Town's ongoing water system situation.

At this time, we unfortunately still do not have a firm timeframe for repairs.

Following our last update, we believed replacement pumps had been located and were being expedited for shipment. Since then, we have learned that this information was incorrect, and replacement pumps had not actually been secured. Whether this resulted from a miscommunication between our engineers, suppliers, and technical representatives or from information changing during the process is still unclear. Regardless of how it happened, it has been an extremely discouraging development and has delayed our efforts to move forward.

While this setback has been frustrating, it has only reinforced our determination to pursue every available option.

While the folks at Peak Water and our engineers at Great West Engineering continue working to identify the best solution. At the same time, we have expanded our own search beyond our original contacts and now have multiple vendors, and suppliers actively looking for replacement pumps that will meet our system's specifications. We are also continuing to evaluate repair and rebuild options for the existing pumps whenever possible, and have widened our search well beyond our usual people and will keep working on it until we have invoices in hand, funding secured, and crews on site.

Our goal remains simple: restore reliable pumping capacity as quickly and safely as possible.

In the meantime, our current pumps remain operational, but they continue to produce only about 60 gallons per minute. Because of this limited capacity, we are again asking all residents to conserve water whenever possible and to refrain from all outside watering. Your cooperation continues to play a critical role in maintaining adequate storage levels for essential water service and fire protection.

We also want to reassure everyone that our contingency plans remain in place. While we do not consider a complete pump failure to be the most likely outcome, we continue planning for every possibility so the Town is prepared should conditions change.

We understand this situation is frustrating for everyone, and it is certainly frustrating for us as well. We share your concerns and want you to know that we are working every day to move this project forward. We are committed to being transparent with the community and will continue providing updates as soon as we have reliable information to share.

Thank you for your continued patience, understanding, and efforts to conserve water while we work through this challenge together.

Water System Update

Water System Update

As of this morning, the Town is currently only able to pump approximately 60 gallons of water per minute.

We received encouraging news this morning that replacement pumps have been located and are now being expedited. Installation crews and crane services are also being coordinated so the new pumps can be installed as quickly as possible.

At the same time, parts are being sourced to rebuild the existing pumps so they can be kept as backups for any future problems. We are also working diligently to secure funding for this project and move the work forward without delay.

Until further notice, we are asking all residents to conserve water as much as possible and to discontinue all outside watering. These measures are necessary to help maintain an adequate water level for essential operations and fire suppression.

As a precaution, the Town is also preparing for a worst-case scenario. If the pumps were to stop working completely, or if the water tank were to fall below a safe operating level, the Town would arrange for portable toilets, most likely at the park, and make drinking water available for pickup at the fire hall.

We want to stress that this is a contingency plan only and is not considered a likely outcome at this time. We are planning for the worst while working toward, and expecting, a much better result.

We will continue to provide updates as new information becomes available. Thank you for your patience, cooperation, and water conservation during this time.

Angel Fund

The Town of Dutton, in an effort to help those experiencing hardship or temporary struggle are proposing a donation fund to help citizens having a hard time catching up on their Water/Sewer bill. Emergency help to avoid shutoff in times of need. This issue will be discussed at the Council Meeting on Monday, February 2nd 7:00pm, at the Town Hall. Let us know what you think either at the meeting, or in the comments. We would love your input and the program only works with your involvement!

PDF link

Angel Fund Proposed Program Structure

HYDRANT FLUSHING

ATTENTION RESIDENTS: The Fire Department will be flushing the fire hydrants in Town the night of October 28, 2025. They plan to start at 6:30. The water around Town will be stirred up and red for a couple days after. It won’t be a good time to wash whites. Thank you and sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

Amended Chicken Ordinance in Effect Now

Hello citizens of Dutton. Just a note to remind ALL chicken owners within the Town limits it is now time to come down to the Office and purchase your chicken permit, it is good until September of 2026 and must be renewed yearly. The cost is $10 for 25 or less chickens, and $100 for 26 or more chickens. Don’t forget there are now fines that will be issued for non-compliance. Copies of the amended ordinance are available at the Town Office.

Public Notice – Water Main Break

The Town of Dutton has experienced a water main break. Town personnel are actively working to identify and resolve the issue. At this time, there is no estimated completion for the repair.

We respectfully request that all residents make every effort to conserve water until service is fully restored. Conservation will help maintain supply for essential needs while repairs are underway.

The Town will provide further updates as additional information becomes available. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding.

Second Reading of Amended Ordinance #6-3-13 to be held during the regular monthly council meeting August 4, 2025.

AMENDED ORDINANCE # 6-3-13

AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE KEEPING

OF CHICKENS WITHIN TOWN LIMITS

           

            WHEREAS,  the Town Council of Dutton has deemed it necessary to permit the keeping of chickens within the Town limits; and 

            WHEREAS, the Council finds that the permitting of chickens would not violate public safety and health standards; and 

            WHEREAS, it appears in the best public interests that the following ordinance be adopted for the keeping of chickens in the Town of Dutton;

              NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the Town of Dutton that the Ordinance 6-3-13 of the Town of Dutton be amended to: 

a.    No Roosters or other Barnyard Fowl are Allowed. Failure to comply will result in a fine of $50-$200 per violation. 

b.    The owner shall obtain an annual permit from the Town Clerk to allow the keeping of chickens. The permit fee for 0-25 chickens will be $10 a year. The permit fee for 26+ chickens will be $100 a year. Permits are issued once a year in the month of September; renewals will be due at this time as well. Fines for no permit will be $50-$200 per violation.

 c.     Chickens must be kept in a neat and sanitary manner; and must have access to a predator proof, roofed enclosure that is ventilated, and of sufficient size to accommodate free movement of the chickens. The chickens shall be shut into the chicken house at night, from sunset to sunrise. Owners shall prevent all chickens from running at large off their property. Complaints will have to be made in writing to the Town Office who will forward it to the Town’s legal advisor, for investigation and prosecution if necessary.

 d.    This Amended Ordinance will take effect 30 days after adoption.

 The clerk is hereby instructed to codify this Amended Ordinance and to place the same in the Book of Ordinances of the Town of Dutton.

 Date: July 7, 2025

First   Reading:          __4__ayes        ____nays       ____abstentions

 Date:

Second Reading:      ____ayes         ____nays       ____abstentions

 

Effective Date: 

 ______________________________

 Mayor

Attest:

______________________________

Town Clerk

WATERING RESTRICTIONS LIFTED 7/16/2025

Watering restrictions are temporarily lifted. While we're not yet operating at full pump capacity, we've managed to increase the flow a bit. This is a temporary solution as we continue working on restoring full pump functionality. You may resume normal watering for now. If further restrictions or conservation efforts are needed, we'll provide updates. Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we address this issue.

WATERING RESTRICTION UPDATE 7/15/25

I know everyone is eager to get back to watering their lawns—I am too! I truly appreciate how much pride our community takes in maintaining beautiful yards, and I understand how frustrating this interruption has been.

We’re still working on resolving the pump issue. So far, we’ve had the motor drives inspected, cleaned the check valves, and checked the piping—everything looks clear with no restrictions. At this point, the problem appears to be with the pumps themselves, which may require pulling them for service or possibly replacement.

The original installer from 2019 will be onsite today to help us troubleshoot and confirm the exact cause. I’ll share an update as soon as we have more information and a better sense of the repair timeline.

Fortunately, it looks like we’re expecting a few days of rain, which should help keep lawns healthy in the meantime. Thank you all for your patience and for continuing to conserve water—especially as we balance demand with fire protection needs during this dry and busy harvest season.

Stay tuned, and I’ll keep you posted.

~Jeremiah

OUTSIDE WATERING RESTRICTIONS

We are currently experiencing issues with our well pumps, we are working to get it resolved but it will take some time. The pumps will need to be pulled in order to fix the problem. Please conserve water, and absolutely no outside watering will be allowed until further notice. Thank you for your patience and understanding. We will have this fixed as fast as we can.