DEER LODGE – The Montana Department of Corrections continued supporting inmates at Montana State Prison as efforts continued Monday to address a leak that disrupted water services on Friday morning.
“We know this is a challenging situation and recognize the urgency felt by inmates and their families to resolve this as soon as possible. We share that sense of urgency,” said Montana Department of Corrections Director Brian Gootkin. “We had a lot of positive pieces move into place today, and we took a small step forward.”
Operations to find the leak were not impacted on Monday by weather conditions. A second water leak detection consultant from Bozeman arrived in Deer Lodge this afternoon to assist with location efforts as the search continues. DOC maintenance staff reported that the water level in the tank has remained steady with the water transported by the Montana National Guard. A second Montana National Guard team arrived in Deer Lodge today to continue assisting with water transfer operations from the city of Deer Lodge to the MSP main water tank.
Both teams and their tankers will begin running 24-hour service to help refill the main water tank with more than 200,000 gallons of water delivered by Monday evening.
Additionally, a County Assist Team (CAT) using state assets from Disaster Emergency Services and Department of Natural Resources and Conservation came in to help support with planning, logistics, and incident follow-up. Portable showers arrived at the facility on Monday afternoon, with two units totaling eight showers now available.
The department continues to seek additional portable shower units. Staff are working to keep normal inmate services running, and are prioritizing resources where they are being needed most critically. Probation and Parole Officers from the surrounding area have been called in to assist with security and other efforts.
On Tuesday, contingency correctional officers from the Montana Women’s Prison will arrive at MSP to assist with additional security support and other efforts.
The department will be posting updates on its website at https://cor.mt.gov/MSP-Water-Updates
