FAQs

Bozeman is a headwaters community. Eighty percent of our water comes from the Gallatin Range, feeding Bozeman Creek and Hyalite Creek. Twenty percent comes from a developed spring at the headwaters of Lyman Creek in the Bridger Range. 

An integrated water resources plan (IWRP) guides water management. In Bozeman’s case, it considers all aspects of our water landscape, including water supply, current and future demand, growth projections, climate and environmental impacts, water quality, and community priorities. The IWRP recommends policies and practices to sustainably manage our water supply now and in the future.

The City is updating its IWRP to account for evolving information, including our community’s priorities, water supply, climate changes, and progress made on the 2013 IWRP recommendations. We are committed to creating an IWRP that reflects the needs of our growing community and Bozeman’s longstanding character. 

This is an update, not a replacement. The City will continue to pursue recommendations made in the 2013 IWRP, including progressing in water conservation and exploring water supply options the City has heavily invested in. However, we may adjust our approach after evaluating updated data.

Since 2013, the City has implemented several policies and practices to ensure our water demand doesn't outpace our water supply. These include, but are not limited to: 

•    Optimizing existing water supplies

•    Developing non-potable irrigation

•    Proactively replacing water mains to reduce system leakage

•    Pursuing groundwater supply development

•    Implementing a drought management plan

•    Adopting permanent mandatory outdoor watering restrictions

•    Developing 10 rebate programs

•    Adopting water-efficient growth policies

•    Adopting a water conservation plan

The City’s water conservation program stems from the 2013 IWRP and has successfully reduced per capita water usage. Specifically, average water demand has decreased by 25 gallons per person daily. These savings are substantial, equal to the water usage of roughly 12,500 - 15,000 people.

The 2013 IWRP—and its current update—uses a 50-year planning horizon to estimate Bozeman’s future water needs and identify potential sources. It considers climate trends, water demands, population growth, and changes in supply. The updated plan will recommend water supply alternatives, system improvements, and policies to strengthen Bozeman’s long-term water reliability.

The City created a Water Advisory Committee (WAC) for this project to ensure our community's diverse perspectives and needs are reflected in the updated IWRP. The WAC is comprised of two subcommittees - the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and Public Advisory Committee (PAC).  The WAC will analyze data, inform alternative development, review and rank alternatives, and, at the end of the update process, provide a formal recommendation to the City Commission.

Ensuring water reliability in Bozeman is complex. Securing the water we need to remain resilient in the future requires careful analysis and consideration. This is complicated by a regional finite water supply, peak summer demands associated with outdoor irrigation, and water rights challenges. Climate change, which will likely impact our water supply, adds another layer of complexity that requires us to evaluate new solutions to meet future demands.

Bozeman’s municipal watersheds are also vulnerable to wildfire, making careful planning critical. Wildfire poses risks to our water quality and water supply availability. To prepare for this, Bozeman’s Water Treatment Plant has advanced technology to treat our supplies in the case of wildfires.

The State of Montana Land Use Planning Act requires Bozeman to plan for its water future, including growth planning. Our 2013 IWRP used growth projections to inform the current water policy and practices, including developing practices that support our growing community. 

As Bozeman continues to grow, it's critical to ensure we're prepared to keep pace. We use data-driven tools to track water demands associated with new development projects to ensure an adequate supply to accommodate growth. While we're planning for growth, this does not mean you're paying for it. In Bozeman, growth pays for growth. The City’s impact fee and water adequacy program ensures that new developments contribute to water projects and additional demand new users place on the system. 

If Bozeman were to ‘freeze in time’ and stop all growth in the city, pressures would then be passed to the County and surrounding communities where water use is less efficient, which would still impact Bozeman’s water supply. More and more people would continue to visit and commute to Bozeman, impacting our water demand and available supply.

Beyond increased pressures in surrounding communities, barring growth would impact housing. If water were a limitation to growth, housing costs would increase. Considering this, we need to plan for different scenarios to ensure we have adequate water supplies to support future water demands.  

Bozeman is not running out of water. In fact, we have more water to allocate. The City prioritizes water conservation to be more flexible and sustainable, especially during drought. Water conservation is also cost-effective and offers an immediate return compared to new supply projects, keeping water rates down and making more water available sooner.

The State of Montana mandates that we plan for the future. That means we need to ensure Bozeman has room to grow. Under state law, the City will evaluate the water required to supply a range of growth scenarios. However, exploring opportunities to expand our supply does not mean we're running out of water; instead, it means that we'll be able to continue to rely on our supply in the future.

Bozeman utilizes a water supply optimization tool to track existing demands and demands associated with current development projects alongside available water supplies in a normal and water-short (drought) year. This proactive planning ensures Bozeman stays ahead of the curve and makes data-driven decisions when approving development projects.

The City hired two independent consulting firms to support the IWRP update, AE2S and Raftelis. AE2S helped the City develop its 2013 IWRP and is familiar with Bozeman’s water landscape and community. They will provide technical expertise, ensuring the IWRP reflects appropriate data and alternatives.  Raftelis will support community engagement, ensuring community values and priorities are incorporated into the IWRP. They help cities across the nation engage with their communities. We opted for independent firms to ensure an inclusive and comprehensive process.  

The City will ensure community values play a key role in the IWRP process by gathering input from diverse perspectives through the Water Advisory Committee (WAC). These groups will help identify priorities and evaluate alternatives for the IWRP. At the end of the process, the WAC will provide a formal recommendation to the City Commission. 

The public will also have virtual and in-person opportunities to engage in the IWRP process. We encourage the public to subscribe to the project on Engage Bozeman and contribute input as opportunities become available later in the process.