LAKESIDE — A hot button issue in the Flathead was discussed Thursday afternoon in Lakeside as the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) hosted a public hearing regarding a proposed expansion of a wastewater system.
The proposed location of a future groundwater control system, roughly one mile north of Flathead Lake, drew mixed reactions from Flathead residents during the public hearing.
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“We all really care about Flathead Lake and the water quality here in the valley, this is a major decision that effects everyone in the county,” said Citizens for a Better Flathead Executive Director Mayre Flowers.
Flowers spoke at the packed public hearing to voice her concerns about the proposed wastewater expansion project.
She said improperly treated sewage wastewater from the proposed facility on Wiley Dike Road could threaten the surrounding bodies of water.
“They need to find another location; the existing district needs to continue, but it does need to expand in the scale that is being proposed, it can’t sustain that.”
The Lakeside County Water and Sewer District has requested a permit to expand its existing wastewater system, which they say is nearing capacity.
The proposed permit would update the current treatment facility to accept, treat, and handle wastewater. A new facility would then discharge the treated wastewater into state groundwater through rapid infiltration basins.
Lakeside resident Ric Gregson voiced his support for approval of the permit.
“If we don’t take some action now, if we continue to backpedal and regurgitate and reevaluate, this process which started many years ago, this is not something that’s new, this is something that started many years ago is going to continue to linger on and linger on,” said Gregson.
Tatiana Davila with the DEQ said the agency now has 60 days to make a formal decision on the requested permit for the proposed facility.
“We will take all of the comments submitted both online, written, delivered orally here today and consider and review all of it in our final determination for the permit,” said Davila.
