MSP Water Updates

Repair efforts at MSP focus on stabilizing water access to units

Work continued at Montana State Prison Saturday to stabilize water access to the Restrictive Housing Unit, Secure Adjustment Unit, and units 1 and 2 on the high-security side of the facility.

“We have water flowing into those areas but need to alternate that access among those units to ensure we have enough pressure to flush toilets, and in some cases, take showers,” said Montana Department of Corrections Director Brian Gootkin. “On Monday, we are going to have 13 plumbers on site to shore up the work we’ve done by replacing valves inside the units. Once we have that area stabilized, we’ll work our way to other units.”

Teams anticipate having a significant leak that was identified outside of A unit on the low-security side of the prison repaired this weekend. Because of its location, workers needed to excavate the pipe by hand. Maintenance staff believe repairing that pipe will be instrumental in restoring pressure to units A, B, and C.

“It seems like every time we fix one leak, another one pops up affecting the system in a different way,” said Gootkin. “I’d like to extend a huge thank you to the Montana National Guard for the work their team is doing hauling water to keep our water tank full 24/7. Without that support, we wouldn’t have any water within the facility.”

DOC staff have a meeting scheduled with Sletten Construction, DLR, and the Montana Department of Administration’s Architecture and Engineering team to flesh out of plan to simultaneously construct a new water system at MSP and make repairs to the existing water system.

Inmates continue to receive bottled water and have access to portable showers, toilets, and hand-washing stations.  Visitation at the prison is continuing as scheduled this weekend.

Note: After today, the DOC will provide updates when significant changes occur related to the water system project rather than daily. Replacement of the water system is expected to take between 60 and 90 days.

Workers excavate a broken pipe on the low-security side of Montana State Prison.

 

Crews supplied water to Montana State Prison’s food factory Friday allowing the facility’s cook/chill operation to resume. The water is being trucked into the facility in potable water trucks. 

The prison maintains several days’ worth of meals on hand to feed inmates in case of emergencies, but since the water system at the prison failed last week, facility staff needed to dip into that reserve. 

 “This is a big win for us,” said Montana Department of Corrections Director Brian Gootkin. “Restoring that service to the prison ensures our self-sufficiency in terms of feeding the people in our care as well as at other facilities supplied by the factory.” 

On Friday, crews began digging up a leaking water pipe outside of the prison’s A unit on the low-security side of the facility. Much of that work must be done by hand because heavy equipment cannot access the leak. Once the pipe outside of Unit A is repaired, the team will replace valves within the low security units, hopefully restoring enough water pressure to allow some level of access.  

Water was partially restored to the prison’s Restrictive Housing Unit, Secure Adjustment Unit, and Units 1 and 2 on the high-security side of the facility Thursday, allowing inmates to shower inside. 

Inmates in areas without water continue to use portable bathrooms and showers. 

“We are addressing system failures as we discover them,” Gootkin said. “What we need to understand is that even in the units where water has been restored, it isn’t fully functional. The existing water system at MSP has failed and we are moving on construction of an entirely new system beginning next week.” 

Funding for the water system replacement was allocated by the 2025 Montana Legislature earlier this year. House Bill 5 provided $21 million to pay for the infrastructure replacement which will serve new units under construction at the prison as well as existing structures. Construction of the new water system was scheduled to begin in 2026. 

HELENA, Mont. – The Montana Department of Corrections announced today that its maintenance crews made progress on restoring water access to the Montana State Prison (MSP).

“In the face of the ongoing system failures, the Department of Corrections made progress today in restoring water access,” Montana Department of Corrections Director Brian Gootkin. “While we continue to make progress, we want to reiterate that building the replacement system is going to take time. As we move forward, we are committed to supporting our inmates and staff through this transition.”

Representatives from Sletten Construction and DLR walked the grounds at Montana State Prison today as they started work on a plan to replace the facility’s failing water system beginning next week. Funding for the water system replacement was allocated by the 2025 Montana Legislature earlier this year. House Bill 5 provided $21 million to pay for the infrastructure replacement which will serve new units under construction at the prison as well as existing structures.

In addition, maintenance crews replaced toilet valves in several units, restoring water to the Secure Adjustment Unit and units 1 and 2 on the high-security side of the facility. Tomorrow, the team will continue that work in units on the low-security side. Construction of the new water system was previously scheduled to begin in 2026.

“Restoring water to the units for inmates was a big win for us,” Gootkin said. “We hope tomorrow will be just as successful on the other side of the compound. In the interim, we’re doing everything we can to keep everyone as comfortable as possible using bottled water, portable toilets, portable showers, hand-washing stations, and more.”

To help keep inmate spirits up, visitation at MSP will resume this weekend.

A Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) official inspected MSP today to provide technical assistance around the safety and adequacy of the facility’s temporary water system.

DPHHS sanitarian Jenna Fisher evaluated the setup, which includes portable water stations, extra showers, and handwashing stations.

"The temporary water system inspected today meets the highest standards to ensure the health and safety of MSP inmates and staff," Fisher stated after her visit which lasted several hours.

Fisher confirmed that the facility is supplying necessities—including portable restrooms, showers, and bottled water — in quantities that exceed levels recommended by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Additionally, Fisher observed that the MSP kitchen is maintaining safe sanitation by using disposable products and boiling water for food preparation areas, and laundry facilities remain fully operational. 

Emergency efforts underway at MSP are being funded through use of disaster emergency funds as allowed under Governor Greg Gianforte’s emergency declaration last week. While it is too early to estimate total costs, more information will be shared as the scope and duration of response and repair efforts become clearer.

The Montana Department of Corrections will begin installing new, modern, and permanent water infrastructure to serve the Montana State Prison.

The facility, which houses 1,600 male inmates, has been challenged by water issues in the past week.

“The problems MSP has faced are a result of decades old infrastructure,” said Montana Department of Corrections Director Brian Gootkin. “Years of deferred maintenance have caught up with us and we’re finding multiple failures throughout the system. We will continue providing water to our inmates while we take on this longer fix.”

The 2025 Montana Legislature provided $21 million in House Bill 5 to pay for the infrastructure replacement which will serve new units under construction at the prison as well as existing structures.

Director Gootkin instructed teams contracted to work on the construction of the new units at the prison to develop a design and plan to move forward with this project as early as next week.

MSP’s water and sewer infrastructure was largely built in the 1970s. Since that time, work on the system has for the most part been limited to fixing problems, not maintaining or improving the system for the long haul.

“We are going to simultaneously continue our work to identify the issues with the existing system and install a modern system that will take us into the future,” Gootkin said. “This is not going to be an easy couple of months for inmates or staff, but the end result will be worth it.”

To allow necessary work to occur on the system, water access will be rolled among units throughout the day.

Resources on site at the prison include 153 portable toilets (including 12 ADA-compliant) and 43 portable showers. By the end of Wednesday, all MSP inmates had the opportunity to take a shower.

The department is working hard to keep operations at the prison as normal as possible including continuing access to the gym, yard, programming, meals in the chow halls, and more.

“We are partners in this effort,” Gootkin said. “Thank you to everyone who is playing a part in keeping everything moving forward.”

DEER LODGE, Mont. –  Three water leaks were identified inside Montana State Prison (MSP) on Tuesday. To test the system for additional leaks, the Montana Department of Corrections (DOC) maintenance team is repressurizing and monitoring the system.

“We took a step forward today by confirming where several leaks were located,” DOC Director Brian Gootkin said. “Even though we found these leaks, we are still working to repair them and resolve the situation for inmates. We’re going to continue evaluating the system and sourcing water and resources for the facility." 

To ensure services for inmates and staff, 133 portable toilets are on site at MSP along with 43 mobile shower units. Toilets and showers are pumped and cleaned continuously throughout the day.

Staff are working to keep normal inmate services running and are prioritizing the delivery of resources where they are needed most critically. To assist with security efforts, Probation and Parole officers and correctional officers from the Montana Women’s Prison are on site.

On Tuesday, Brigadier General Trenton Gibson, who is Adjutant General for the State of Montana and serves as Commander of the Montana National Guard and the Director of the Department of Military Affairs, visited National Guard troops at MSP. He also met with Gootkin and MSP Warden Jim Salmonsen. The Montana National Guard began running 24/7 water service to refill the MSP main water tanker.

The department would like to thank members of the public and family and friends of inmates who have reached out with ideas for resources.

DEER LODGE – On Sunday, the Montana Department of Corrections (DOC) continued to search for a water leak that disrupted water services at Montana State Prison (MSP). The water issue was first discovered Friday morning and inmates were notified Friday morning as well. 

Today, the department brought in a water leak detection and mapping consultant out of Missoula to assist with finding the leak.

“We’re exhausting all resources we have to find the cause of this leak and resolve it,” DOC Director Brian Gootkin said. “I’m thankful for the time all our DOC employees have put in this weekend and everyone who has stepped up to help. Once we can locate this leak, we’re hoping to have it fixed as soon as possible.”

Staff are working to keep normal inmate services running, and are prioritizing staffing resources where they are being needed most critically.  

The DOC is committed to ensuring inmates and staff have access to the limited water available at MSP. The department has 78 portable toilets at MSP and 10 of them are ADA accessible. While the department has been looking for portable showers, the DOC has not yet identified an organization able and willing to provide support. The DOC will continue to work to identify potential partners and welcomes interest from parties willing to assist with this need.

Additionally, the Montana National Guard was mobilized and arrived at MSP on Saturday to help deliver water from the city of Deer Lodge to the main water tank. Pallets of water bottles will continue to be delivered to the facility.

Probation and Parole Officers from the surrounding area have been called in to assist with security and other efforts.

Once the break in the pipe is found, the water will need to be tested by the Department of Environmental Quality to ensure it is safe for inmates to use.

In addition to regular staff members carrying out their duties at MSP, the department is grateful for the support from the following volunteer DOC employees this weekend and other partner agencies:

• MSP Volunteers: 12 staff members, in addition to the current shift staff
• P&P Volunteers: 18 staff members
• Outside Agencies Contacted or Assisting:
  • National Guard
  • DLC Fire
  • DLC Law Enforcement

On Saturday, the Montana Department of Corrections (DOC) continued to work and monitor a broken water pipe at Montana State Prison (MSP).

“The Department is working as quickly as possible to find the break and restore all services to Montana State Prison,” DOC Director Brian Gootkin said. “We’re thankful for the long hours staff have already put in and to our partners who have stepped up to help out.”

DOC is committed to ensuring inmates and staff have access to the limited water available at the MSP. The department had 50 portable toilets delivered to MSP on Friday and is in the process of ordering portable showers for the facility. Regular services like meals have not been affected. Inmate services and recreation have not been impacted.

Additionally, the Montana National Guard was mobilized and arrived at MSP at 1 p.m. on Saturday to help deliver 15,000 gallons of water from the city of Deer Lodge to the main water tank. The National Guard will be available throughout the weekend to help resupply the main water tank if needed. Pallets of water bottles will continue to be delivered to the facility throughout the weekend and into next week.

Probation and Parole Officers from Missoula and Helena are at MSP to assist with security.

Once the break in the pipe is found, the water will need to be tested by the Department of Environmental Quality to ensure it is safe for inmates to use.

The Montana Department of Corrections staff responded to a water pipe break at Montana State Prison on Friday morning.

MSP maintenance responded immediately to the issue and is working on locating the break. The break occurred in the pipe carrying water from the well house to the main water tank, which supplies water to the secure compound. Sletten Construction is assisting the department in repair efforts by providing additional excavation equipment.

This water outage affected the secure compound at MSP; the dairy and Work and Reentry Center were not impacted.

Inmates will be provided with water bottles and regular services, like meals, have not been affected. Inmates have not been relocated due to the water pipe break. The department is working with Montana Disaster Emergency Services to get 15,000 gallons of water to the main water tank.

The department established its Incident Command System (ICS) to manage any situations that may arise. This group includes members from divisions across the department.

“Our team has been working diligently at the Montana State Prison to respond swiftly to this issue,” DOC Director Brian Gootkin said. “We are committed to ensuring inmates have access to water and all regular services."