CHESTER — The Chester Town Council unanimously voted on May 13, 2026, to join the North Central Montana Regional Water Authority, connecting the town to a regional water system that draws from Tiber Reservoir.
The regional system stems from a federal settlement with the Chippewa Cree Tribe, which funded construction of a water treatment plant at Tiber Reservoir to provide drinking water to the Rocky Boy's Reservation and neighboring communities.
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The authority was created to connect towns across north-central Montana to that regional water source, including communities such as Havre, Loma, and now Chester.
"The North Central Montana Regional Water Authority presents an opportunity for communities to sign on to one big water project. Chester's current system is approximately 70 years old and is aging out. It's getting very expensive to maintain," said Chester town attorney Bill Hunt.
He continued, "It will lessen the cost of joining North Central as opposed to maintaining its own system. It'll require fewer employees, fewer man hours to maintain a water system all the way from Tiber to the Chester Treatment plant and eliminate the treatment plant as well. It will lower costs and increase reliability."
While customers are expected to see some increase in their estimated monthly water rates, Hunt said those increases should be smaller than the costs associated with maintaining and upgrading Chester's aging infrastructure on its own.
"The rates will increase under North Central, but it's anticipated not nearly as much," said Hunt.
"Chester still has to maintain its current water system until the North Central System is built and delivering water to Chester," said Hunt.
Town officials say the water treatment plant and pipeline to Chester could be complete within three to five years.
