Power outage hits more than 600 households

More than 600 households were without power Monday after power to the Bonneville substation on Dixon went offline. According to a Facebook post by Joe Caye, the Mission Valley Power supervisor on duty Monday, the substation supplies electricity to the communities of Ravalli, Charlo, Arlee and St. Ignatius. 

The Town of St. Ignatius posted a warning on its Facebook site Monday afternoon, noting that the water level in the town’s storage tanks was 80% below normal due to the power outage. Citizens were asked to hold off on outdoor watering until Tuesday afternoon to allow the wells to recover. 

The post reads: “We need to reserve as much water in the tower as possible so as not to overwork the generators.” 

St. Ignatius Public Works Superintendent Scott Morton said Tuesday that the community has “plenty of water.” Mission is served by three wells,  two of which ordinarily run in the summer. 

With the lengthy power outage, the electric pumps didn’t work so the back-up generator kicked on to keep one well running.