A much-needed water and sewer upgrade is wrapping up at Libby Creek Community, a Resident Owned Community in Libby, MT.
The infrastructure project was originally launched in 2019. As of October of 2026, Libby Creek Community is now connected to Libby’s municipal water main. This was not a small project—it took five septics offline, installed a public sewer system, and expanded the city water main to add these residents to the municipal water system. This project has a meaningful impact on residents, who were spending thousands of dollars a year finding and fixing water pressure issues, broken water lines, and backed up sewer lines.
“One time [with the previous septic system] we were without water for weeks…. It honestly makes such a difference, we have continuous water all the time. It makes a difference to be able to flush the toilet, to have clean water,” states Barb Bondurant, Libby Creek Community resident who was president in the beginning stages of this project.
The added capacity to the municipal water lines has the potential to benefit future commercial and residential growth. Cedar street in the city of Libby has updated water mains because of this project and improved water service will enhance economic development in the Port Authority. “It was an interesting project, being Lincoln Counties first of this kind. If not for the ARPA Grants, I’m not sure we would have been able to do it, but I’m glad we could. The health and living conditions of the Libby Creek Community will benefit for a long time. Thank you to all the entities involved,” states County Commissioner Brent Teske.
This project reflects the hard work and commitment of Libby Creek residents and a strong partnership between NeighborWorks Montana, Lincoln County, the City of Libby, the Montana Department of Commerce, the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, and WGM Group.
These infrastructure improvements provide this resident-owned community with reliable access to clean water and protect the watershed from pollution associated with its outdated septic systems. By addressing critical infrastructure needs and reducing the burden of future repairs, the project also supports the community’s long-term affordability.
We are grateful for the funding that made this work possible, including support from Lincoln County; American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA); Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Montana Coal Endowment Program (MCEP) funding administered by the Montana Department of Commerce; and planning and construction grants through the Renewable Resource Grant and Loan Program, along with Nonpoint Source Pollution (NPS) grants, administered by the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. Together, these investments support a healthier environment and a sustainable, affordable future for Libby Creek residents.
