Volunteers fix Deer Park water system

The day after school ended at Deer Park School last year, the school’s water system failed.

For the rest of the summer, a crew of local businessmen and volunteers worked to replace the system, which was no easy task considering that the school dates back to the late 1800s and everyone had their own jobs and families to worry about in the height of the construction season.

“They all made huge sacrifices,” Deer Park school board vice chairman Gary Anderson said. “We worked until dark shut us down most nights.”

The system also needed Montana Department of Environmental Quality approval as a public water supply and had to be designed by a certified engineer. Crews rebuilt the entire pump structure and pump house.

The crew got the job done in the nick of time — one day before school started. Part of the problem was old pipes, Anderson explained.

They hooked up one pipe they thought went to the gym, but when they turned it on, the gym had no water. They changed a few connections around and were able to right the problem. Anderson said they never did figure out where the mystery pipe went.

Today the system is working smoothly. The water is filtered but doesn’t require chlorination.

It tastes good. Anderson said they’d like to add an iron removal system, as the water is a bit high in iron.

It’s far better than when Anderson’s grandmother, Vera Good, went to school at Deer Park. Back then, they packed water from neighbors if they needed a drink and used outhouses.

All told, the water project cost more than $36,000 and businesses donated more than $11,300 of the cost. Donating time and services were Carver Engineering, Snow Ghost Construction, Creighton Plumbing, ESI Electric, Country Muffler, Gary Anderson and Harm Toren.