City crew works to fix broken water main
EMILY MESSER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 6 months AGO
An excavator clears the way for crews to access the main line during last week's water main break. (Ashley Walker/Courtesy of City of Polson)
Emily Messer joined the Lake County Leader in July of 2025 after earning a B.A. degree in Journalism from the University of Montana. Emily grew up in the rolling hills of southeast Missouri. She's lived in Montana since 2022 and honed her reporting craft through the UM J-School newspaper and internships at the RMEF Bugle Magazine and the Missoulian. At the Leader, she covers government, business, education, agriculture and community news. Contact Emily Messer at [email protected] or 406.883.4343 | January 13, 2026 9:31 AM
Last Tuesday afternoon, as daylight whittled away, a water main broke on Skyview Lane in Polson, leaving a minimum number of people affected.
The Polson Water and Sewer Department responded quickly and adjusted valves to restore water for most residents, Ashley Walker, Polson Public Works director, said. According to the city website, crews secured the Skyview, Mission View, Ridgewater and Cougar Ridge areas on Jan. 6.
Walker said as of last Wednesday morning, only one resident was without water, and the crew was working to resolve the issue. He was unsure what caused the water main to break, but thinks it could have been due to ground movement from the varying temperatures Polson has seen over the last few weeks.
Walker said on Wednesday, Jan. 7, the main was repaired, and water was restored to all customers in the area.
ARTICLES BY EMILY MESSER
Looking Forward: A Note from Your New Editor
I would like to take this opportunity to officially introduce myself. My name is Emily Messer, and I am honored to be taking on the role of editor at the Lake County Leader.
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