Broken Water Pipe Leads to Unsanitary Conditions at Montana State Prison
When a water pipe broke at the Montana State Prison (MSP) in the city of Deer Lodge, prisoners were unable to shower or even wash their hands for at least a week.
The break was first discovered at 6 a.m. on October 10, 2025, and within an hour, the 1,610 prisoners locked up at the facility were notified, according to a press release by the state Department of Corrections (DOC). Shortly after the announcement, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte (R) signed an executive order to mobilize the state’s National Guard. The state also said it trucked in 30,000 water bottles to the facility and set up portable toilets.
As the leaks were being fixed, The Daily Montanan spoke with the family members of prisoners at MSP; they described the situation as a crisis. Despite bringing in dozens of portable toilets, there were not enough to meet demand—and only a handful of the toilets were ADA accessible, causing at least one prisoner with medical issues to decline food because he could not use the toilet seat. With each prisoner reportedly given only six bottles of water per day to drink and clean themselves, conditions became unsanitary. “The toilets were getting clogged, they weren’t flushing, and they were actually forcing inmates, basically to pee and poop in water bottles and plastic bags,” the spouse of one MSP prisoner claimed.
By late October, full water service had been restored to MSP. Montana is now using a $21 million fund to install “new, modern and permanent water infrastructure,” according to the state DOC. Up until November 4, 2025, prisoners at MSP were placed on a boil-water advisory due to the facility’s drinking water testing positive for coliform bacteria. The bacteria, which can be found in water that comes in contact with soil and fecal matter, is not necessarily harmful but is often a sign of a degraded water system. MSP had tested positive for coliform 37 times since 2001, highlighting that water quality issues had been present at the facility long before the pipe leak.
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