DEQ Extends Public Comment Period for a Wastewater Discharge Permit
The Montana Ground Water Pollution Control System permit would allow Lakeside County Water and Sewer District to implement a new residential wastewater disposal system
By ZOË BUHRMASTER
The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) extended an open comment period for the public on a permit that would allow the discharge of treated wastewater to groundwater at new septic facilities in Somers, a mile north of Flathead Lake.
The Montana Ground Water Pollution Control System permit would allow Lakeside County Water and Sewer District to implement a new residential wastewater disposal system, moving away from conventional septic to discharging treated water to groundwater through a rapid infiltration system.
The DEQ originally set the public comment from Dec. 9, 2024, to Jan. 10, 2025, allowing the public 30 days amid the holiday season to review and comment on the proposed permit.
The Dec. 17 notice to postpone the period comes after local watchdog group Citizens for a Better Flathead blasted a letter to its members, encouraging them to request an extension period of an additional 60 days “so that the public may have adequate time to consult with experts and prepare comments for a project that may, without careful independent review and study, jeopardize our world-class waters,” the letter stated.
The permit is phase one of two planned by the LCWSD, the second to detail improvements to the treatment plant down the road. Only the first phase is incorporated in this public comment period.
More information on the permit and subsequent project, including fact sheets and the DEQ’s environmental assessment, can be found on the DEQ’s website. To comment on the permit, send an email to [email protected].