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.

BOIL WATER ADVISORY HAS BEEN LIFTED FOR TOWN OF DUTTON

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER

 

Boil Water Advisory Has Been Lifted

for

Town of Dutton

MT0000204 

Our water system recently had a faulty tank seal on the water storage tank that likely resulted in the contamination of the water supply. After disinfecting the entire water system, four bacteriological samples taken 6/16/2025 showed satisfactory results.

This Boil Water Advisory has been lifted. The Town of Dutton public water supply had experienced E. coli contamination. Water system personnel worked diligently to disinfect the water system and the situation has been corrected.

What should I do?

Return to normal operations. 

What is being done?

Bacteriological samples of the water were collected on 6/16/2025 and have satisfactory results.

Personnel have corrected the situation and will update users.

For more information, please contact Jeremiah Kjensmo at 406-868-3262 or at the Town Office located at 11 Main Street West.

 

This notice is being sent to you by Town of Dutton

State Water System ID#: MT0000204

 

 

 

ATTENTION DRINKING WATER BOILING ORDER UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

DRINKING WATER WARNING

TOWN OF DUTTON water is contaminated with E. coli

BOIL YOUR WATER BEFORE USING

E. coli bacteria were found in the water supply on June 9th, 2025. Additionally, samples collected on June 11th confirmed the presence of E. coli bacteria. These bacteria can make you sick and are a particular concern for people with weakened immune systems. We are now conducting additional sampling to determine the extent of the problem and are conducting a thorough investigation to determine the source of the contamination.

Bacterial contamination can occur when increased run-off enters the drinking water source (for example, following heavy rains). It can also happen due to a break in the distribution system (pipes) or a failure in the water treatment process.

What should I do? What does this mean?

•          DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST. Bring all water to a boil, let it boil for one minute, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation until further notice. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water.

•          E. coli are bacteria whose presence indicates that the water may be contaminated with human or animal wastes. Human pathogens in these wastes can cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. They may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, and people with severely compromised immune systems.

•          The symptoms above are not caused only by organisms in drinking water. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice. People at increased risk should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers.

What is being done?

Over the coming days you will notice a heightened smell of chlorine in your water as we raise the level to kill bacteria. We believe this contamination was caused by a faulty seal on the Water Storage Tank. We will begin work to reseal it as we are disinfecting the system. You will be notified again as soon as we return to normal operation. Thank you for your patience as we mitigate this issue.

We will inform you when tests show no bacteria are present and you no longer need to boil your water. We anticipate resolving the problem within the next week.

For more information, please contact Jeremiah Kjensmo at 406-476-3311 or at the Town Office located at 11 Main Street West.

This notice is being sent to you by TOWN OF DUTTON

State Water System PWS ID#: MT0000204

Date   and   method(s)   distributed:  

06-13-25 Posting in conspicuous areas, hand delivered, and radio       

 

Water System Class: C

Monitoring Period: JUNE 2025

County: TETON

Violation Date: JUNE 13TH, 2025

2025 Sanitary Survey

The Town of Dutton recently completed its triennial sanitary survey conducted by the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). The inspection identified no significant deficiencies, reaffirming that the Town continues to meet rigorous standards for safe and sanitary drinking water. We remain committed to providing clean, reliable water to all residents.

Chicken Ordinance Update Discussion

Chicken Chat

We're currently working on drafting a new ordinance that will create clear guidelines for keeping chickens within the Town limits. Our existing ordinance is outdated and doesn’t address many of the common concerns that come up today.

Our aim isn’t to discourage people from raising chickens—we simply want to create a balanced approach that respects both those who want to keep a flock and those who might not enjoy having them next door.

Living in an incorporated community means agreeing to a shared set of rules that help meet the needs of everyone. That’s why we want to hear from YOU!

If you have thoughts, concerns, or ideas about keeping chickens in town, please let us know. You can email your input to townofdutton@duttonmt.gov, Call us at 406-476-3311 or just stop by and talk to us in person.

No matter your opinion, we want your voice in this conversation!

NEW PAYMENT PORTAL!!

We're excited to announce that our new Citizen Portal is now live! Getting started is easy—just locate the WEB ID on the lower right of your bill. Once you have it, simply click the portal link, choose "Go to Payment Portal," and then select "Register" in the upper right corner to set up your account.

With your account, you'll gain access to helpful tools for managing your account independently. Plus, don’t forget to set up your notification preferences to receive timely alerts for water outages or other important public safety updates. Stay connected and informed, right as things happen

CITIZEN PORTAL LINK

Support Phone Number for citizens: (855) 327-7046

2nd Ave Temp Water

GREAT NEWS! Everyone on 2nd Ave that has been on temporary water will be moving to the new water main this afternoon! We know your flow and pressure has been reduced for some time now. We appreciate your patience during this very necessary project. You should have normal or even better flow after this afternoon, though the water may be discolored through the weekend. If the water is super discolored we suggest watering your trees and just letting it flow until it clears up a bit. To those that need to do this, we will be looking at the usage charges and adjusting them on the bills. I am turning comments on this post, anyone living on 2nd please let us know what the new pressure/flow is compared to what it was before you went on temporary water, we are very interested in hearing your feedback so we know how the system is performing vs our expectations! Your thoughts are important to us, after all we are doing this all for you guys!

NEW Billing Coming Soon!!

The Town of Dutton consistently strives to provide our citizens with the best services and programs that strengthen our community and improve quality of life.

As we continue to grow with the times as a thriving community, we are so excited to announce that our citizens will soon have a NEW and ENHANCED payments portal.  The same high-level security that you have grown to expect from us will not change, however the new portal will be more user-friendly – providing more ways to manage your account(s) and improve the overall payment experience with features that include:

·         Easy enrollment in Auto Pay, Ebilling and Text N Pay options

·         Historical bill and payment data

·         Capability to update your account

·         Multilingual capabilities

·         One-view multi-property access

More to come soon, including an FAQ Page with information on creating a portal account and enrolling in these new features so paying your bills is easy to do!

**Public Notice from the Town of Dutton**

Attention: On Wednesday, August 7th, we request that all large sprinkler systems and other significant water users pause their watering schedules. Our construction crew will be connecting the new water transmission line to the existing one. To prepare for any potential water loss or emergencies and ensure public safety, we need to maximize our water storage. Normal water usage is permitted, but large users and the bulk water station will be limited for the day. We expect operations to run smoothly and normal water usage to resume by the end of the day. Updates will be provided on this page.

Lifting of Watering Restrictions

We are pleased to announce that the water level in the tank has recovered enough to ease off on some restrictions. Here are the updated guidelines for watering:

Effective Today (8/1/24):

  • Garden Hoses: You may resume watering with regular garden hoses.

Effective Friday (8/2/24) at 8 AM:

  • Underground Sprinkler Systems: You may turn on your underground sprinkler systems only after checking back here or calling the office at 406-476-3311 to ensure there are no further updates.

Ongoing Conservation Request:

  • Use Water Conservatively: Although restrictions are eased, please continue to use water wisely to maintain tank levels. Avoid over-watering, especially to revive scorched lawns.

  • Optimal Watering Times: Water your lawn at night or late evening to maximize water usage and minimize evaporation. Watering during these times helps your lawn absorb more water, leading to better results.

  • Avoid Watering During Heat and Wind: Watering in the heat of the day or when it's windy leads to high evaporation rates, making your efforts less effective.

Summary:

  • Today (8/1/24): Use garden hoses for watering.

  • Friday (8/2/24) at 8 AM: Underground sprinkler systems may be turned on after confirming no new updates.

  • Conserve Water: Be mindful of your water usage to help maintain the water tank levels.

For any updates or further instructions, please check back here or contact the office at 406-476-3311. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

Water System Shutdown Update

2 out of the 3 major breaks have been repaired and water has been restored to the Town. For right now we will need to maintain water usage restrictions. Please no outside watering and only essential usage until further notice. As you’re running your water please just remember your neighbor needs some too. We apologize for the inconvenience and will update when normal usage may resume.

If everyone conserves water we will be up and running in a few days barring any more breaks. If you don”t these restrictions will last a lot longer than they need. Please be considerate of EVERYONE and only use essential water.

ANYONE IN CHARGE OF A SPRINKLER SYSTEM PLEASE TURN IT OFF SO IT WILL NOT RUN AT ALL UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE