Commissioners Deny Purchase of Lower Valley Septage Site - Flathead Beacon

Commissioners Deny Purchase of Lower Valley Septage Site - Flathead Beacon

Commissioners Deny Purchase of Lower Valley Septage Site

Following a 2-1 vote, the Flathead County commissioners’ split decision comes after they previously approved a buy-sell agreement for $1.5 million By Beacon Staff

In a 2-1 vote on Tuesday, the Flathead County Commission opposed the purchase of a Lower Valley property under consideration as the top prospect for a regional septage treatment facility, rejecting the site despite having previously approved a $1.5 million buy-sell agreement for the 37-acre parcel at 305 Wylie Dike Road.

Commissioners Randy Brodehl and Brad Abell opposed the purchase of the property, which was slated to become a regional septage treatment plant and biosolids composting facility; Commissioner Pam Holmquist voted in favor.

County officials said the need for the facility has gained urgency due to the region’s accelerated growth. However, the county’s plan for the facility has been met with opposition from residents of the Lower Valley concerned with the prospect of diminishing property values, odors and proximity to Wiley Slough and the Flathead River.

According to the Flathead County Health Department, there are roughly 30,000 septic tanks in Flathead County with nearly 700 new permits issued in 2022 alone. On average, between 20,000 and 40,000 gallons of septage is pumped from the tanks each day, while the number of disposal sites are at a premium.

At an informational session in December, Bill Buxton, a representative of HDR Engineering, the firm in charge of designing the treatment plant, detailed the need for the new facility and summarized the lengthy deliberations that went into determining its best location.

According to Buxton, the health department last year reported receiving calls almost every day related to a lack of disposal sites, including from porta potty companies that were unable to find waste haulers with contracts that allowed for increased disposal. The local municipal wastewater treatment plants have stringent limits on the amount of waste they can accept from outside municipal limits. In addition, Glacier Gold, a company that recycles biosolid waste into compost, has hit capacity.

Of the half-dozen sites that meet the criteria for a regional septage facility, including easy access to highways, property size, connection to a public sewer and a centralized location within the county, the property at 305 Wylie Dike Road in the Lower Valley was considered the top prospect.

The property has easy access to two highways, ties into the Lakeside Water and Sewer District to dispose of liquid waste and is located near the district’s wastewater treatment lagoons. On Oct. 21, the county commissioners approved a buy-sell agreement with an intent to purchase the property for $1.5 million using money from a 2021 ARPA grant.

HDR Engineering is designing the facility based on 20-year growth projections and would be able to treat roughly 5 million gallons of waste annually.

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