Celebrate Public Works Week with City of Billings' Open House Events

May 2, 2024

from Billings Public Works Media Release

National Public Works Week in 2024 is May 19-25, and this year's theme, Advancing Quality of Life for All aims to illustrate how public works professionals contribute to and enhance the quality of life in all the communities they proudly serve, according to the American Public Works Association. In Billings, our Public Works department is inviting families and community members to behind-the-scenes looks at our Water Treatment Plant and the Billings Operation Center by way of two open houses. Attendees will have the opportunity to witness, firsthand, the efforts that keep our city running smoothly.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Wednesday, May 22, 4-7 p.m. | Billings Water Treatment Plant

Ever wondered how clean, safe drinking water makes its way from the Yellowstone River to your tap? Join us at the Billings Water Treatment Plant for a captivating journey from source to tap. Highlights include:

Bus tours of the drinking water treatment facilities
Live demonstrations showcasing different parts of water & wastewater treatment and some major equipment used to maintain our city’s distribution & collection system
Learn about exciting new projects Billings has planned
Q&A sessions with our expert team
Refreshing drinking water, Wilcoxson’s Ice Cream, and fun giveaways

Thursday, May 23, 4-7 p.m. | Billings Operation Center

Curious about the unsung heroes who maintain our city's infrastructure day in and day out? Our Street-Traffic and Solid Waste Collection teams are based out of the Billings Operation Center, and we invite you to come explore the inner workings of the Billings Operation Center and discover the dedication behind every project. Activities include:

Behind-the-scenes tours and interactive displays
Major equipment demonstration including garbage trucks, boom trucks, stormwater inspection cameras, signal lights, and more
Infrastructure project posters and renderings
Meet-and-greets with our team
Refreshments, Wilcoxson’s Ice Cream & fun giveaways

These open house events serve as a tribute to the dedication and innovation of the public works professionals in our community. By opening the doors and inviting the community in, perhaps they will inspire the next generation of problem-solvers and city stewards.

Clean Water Matters: Making the Most of a Precious Resource

Clean freshwater is a precious resource globally. In Billings, all the water we use is coming from and going back into the Yellowstone River. It’s a privilege to draw on the last major undammed river in the contiguous United States, but it’s also a big responsibility to care for its waters and in turn, all the life that it supports and maintains.

Billings Water: A Look at Water Conservation & Sustainability for Today & Beyond

How can we create systems that will continue to thrive, with benefits instead of detriment to those down the road? A dry climate, unique water situation, large population, portion of the city at a higher elevation, and complete reliance on a wild, undammed river create the need for a water plan that is solid, strong, and sustainable.

Looking Back: The Yellowstone River

The history of the Yellowstone River is fraught with adventure and action, war and treachery, sustenance and provision. Its waters have given life to nomadic peoples, carried explorers, sustained agricultural land, and served as the lifeblood of communities. Undammed and free-flowing, it twists and turns for nearly 700 miles, and along 45 of these rests its largest dependent: Billings.

Billings, Montana: A Gold AND Green City

The city of Billings applied for LEED for Cities certification and was assessed and scored by a third party in seven measurable categories: Integrative Process, Ecology and Natural Systems, Transportation and Land Use, Water, Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Materials and Resources, and Quality of Life. The result? A benchmark of where Billings is currently: as good as Gold.