For communities everywhere, water is central to daily life. In 2019, however, it became a constant worry for the people of rural Worden and Ballantine in Montana. That year, residents were warned to stop drinking the tap water after testing revealed elevated levels of nitrates and nitrites. Overnight, everyday routines changed. Families, businesses, and schools shifted entirely to bottled water for all drinking and cooking needs. What was once taken for granted now arrived by the case.

The Worden-Ballantine Yellowstone County Water & Sewer District, which serves both towns, began the complicated process of bringing safe, drinkable water back to residents. The system needed significant improvements: new wells, treatment systems, and updates to portions of the distribution network. 

With the funding support through USDA Rural Development’s Water and Environmental Programs, the district began planning for a system that could once again support the community’s health and future. The investments would secure land, develop four new wells, install treatment equipment, and connect the improvements to parts of the existing system that could remain.

Sandy Kust, the district’s administrator and water systems operator, describes the work as both technical and personal. While overseeing system upgrades, she also became one of the people delivering bottled water to residents each month. “The cost of supplying bottled water is thousands of extra dollars per month,” she said, “but on the positive side, I've been able to get to know every person on our water system.” For her, each delivery was a reminder of why the project mattered and whom she serves.

The local Huntley Project School District felt the impact of the water advisory deeply. Superintendent Mark Wandle has dedicated countless hours supporting water deliveries and ensuring they’re distributed to dispenser stations throughout the school. 

The school district sees this not only as a logistical challenge but as a responsibility to all. “We’re here for more than just the school kids and their families – we’re here for the entire community,” Wandle said. “The water needs never end,” he noted, “but we look forward to when the hands-on work of it does!”

Students and staff fill personal bottles throughout the day, and bottled water is used to cook all school meals. Wandle said the school district adjusts their menu around the restrictions and doesn’t often serve pasta or anything that requires a lot of water. He also stated that the younger students in early grades will have to learn to use the drinking fountains for their first time with the completed water system. 

Local health professionals know the risks and have advised locals to follow safety precautions and avoid the tap water. Amanda Gallagher, Program Manager at RiverStone Health Clinic, emphasized the vulnerabilities. “This community has many that would be considered a high-risk population: low-income, children, infants, senior citizens,” she said. With nitrate contamination posing its greatest danger through prolonged exposure, she added, “The biggest risk to health is long-term.”

Despite the challenges, regular progress moved this project forward. USDA Rural Development’s investment allowed crews to establish the new wells, treatment systems, and distribution improvements. These steps, once totally complete, will allow Worden and Ballantine to lift the bottled water advisory. For residents who have carried cases of water home week after week, and for the school staff who have stretched their budgets to keep people safe, that day cannot come soon enough.

Throughout the years of extra caution, the community overall has displayed resilience: neighbors helping neighbors, school staff ensuring students stay hydrated, and local leaders working tirelessly to bring safe water back to every household. And while the project has demanded patience, it has also strengthened connections.

As Sandy Kust reflected, knowing every resident personally was never the goal of a water crisis, but it has been a silver lining in a long journey toward clean, dependable water, and a healthier future for the entire community.

The water system, completed in 2026, will serve the communities for generations with clean, dependable water. USDA’s Water and Environmental Programs provide the necessary support to rebuild, reinforce, and safeguard rural America’s access to clean water and sanitary waste systems. To learn more about these programs and how they’re visible in your state, visit www.rd.usda.gov.