DEQ Extends Comment Deadline for Lakeside Wastewater Discharge Permit, Schedules Public Hearing
The Department of Environmental Quality announced it was hosting a public hearing and extending the deadline for public comment on a Lakeside sewer district's application for a groundwater discharge permit after receiving over 200 responses
By Zoë Buhrmaster
To accommodate the high level of public interest, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is extending the public comment period again on a permit that would allow Lakeside County Water and Sewer District (LCWSD) to discharge treated wastewater to groundwater two miles north of Flathead Lake.
The agency on Thursday announced the two-week deadline extension for public comment, moving it from Feb. 10 to Feb. 27. The DEQ also announced plans to hold a public hearing in Lakeside at 3 p.m. on Feb. 27. The initial comment period began on Dec. 9, 2024, but DEQ extended the deadline from Jan. 10 to Feb. 10 after it garnered over 200 public comments, according to a press release from the agency, which determined that “good cause exists to hold a public hearing,” as many comments included requests for one.
DEQ also said the decision “was made to ensure that DEQ has all the necessary information to make an informed permitting decision,” taking comment on the draft permit, environmental assessment and fact sheet.
The Montana Ground Water Pollution Control System (MGWPCS) permit will upgrade LCWSD’s current system and expand the facilities to receive Flathead County’s septage at Lakeside County’s facility off Wiley Dike Road. The permit is the first part of a two-phase plan to construct a new screening and grit removal facility, followed by construction of a specialized wastewater treatment facility.
The public hearing will be on Feb. 27 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Community Room at the Lakeside Quick Response Unit at 201 Bills Road. Those unable to attend in-person can watch and comment virtually via Zoom. DEQ noted that they will not be responding to comments during the hearing but will take them into consideration and “respond to all substantive comments” before issuing a final decision within sixty days after the hearing.
Public comment on the permit or the proposed processing facility can be emailed to [email protected], or sent via mail to DEQ Water Quality Division, Water Protection Bureau, P.O. Box 200901, Helena, MT 59620, if postmarked by end of day Feb. 27.